


Mischief That Cannot be Managed

by CandyassGoth



Series: Mischief That Cannot be Handled [2]
Category: Blade (Movie Series), Hellboy (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: A second try to enslave Earth, Anal Sex, And thus, Dubious Consent, Eventual Happy Ending, Jötunn Loki, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki Has Issues, M/M, Mpreg, No actual romance between Loki and Blade, Nuada wants to help Loki, On BOTH SIDES, SilverPrinces, Thor loves Loki, Thorki - Freeform, and chases him, but Loki ain't got time for that, but disapproves of the vampire shit, but dubious sex, loki is a little shit, using vampires, vampire sex and feeding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2015-03-11
Packaged: 2018-02-07 14:40:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 62,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1902825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CandyassGoth/pseuds/CandyassGoth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki escapes Asgard after being jailed after the Avengers timeline. He makes it back to New York, and stumbles upon a new plan to rule, which leads him into more humiliation and problems than he is ready for.</p><p>Contains Loki x Nuada and Thorki feels, Loki x Blade and eventual Loki x Nuada.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally this had 1000 words of explanation. Here's my updated explanation… _Fuck it._
> 
> -Fic follows canon happenings up till end of Avengers. Thor 2 and its whole dark elf thing doesn't happen, Loki escapes prison and gets back to Earth.
> 
> -Nuada lived, he did not die in Hellboy 2.
> 
> -Blade Trinity happened.
> 
> -This fic contains _slash_ aspects revolving around Loki, Blade and Nuada. And Thor.
> 
> -After some extra research, apparently Blade knows Fury, Spidey, even Victor Von Doom. I spazzed finding that out.
> 
> -A few Avengers, Blade and Hellboy characters make small cameos.
> 
> I am not doing this for an Oscar so if there are plot holes, it's not the end of the world, don't go crazy. This fic will not be as detailed and/or long as my other multi-chapters. It's just to write a fic because it's my idea. Facts may be incorrect and so may timelines. I don't care.
> 
>  
> 
> **Warnings: Homosexual erotica. Blood. Violence. And gay sex. Consensual and Dubious sex. Blade is a victim. Nuada is underappreciated. Thor is on a wild goose chase. Odin is done. Loki is a little shit. Everything that happens to him is his own fault.**
> 
> This is a follow up to my Silverprinces oneshot [The Magical Properties of Silver](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1009144) It’s not required for you to read that first, but if you have the time and like the shipping, why not.
> 
> Please forgive my spelling errors.
> 
> _I do not own any of things characters or facts relating to the shows_

**Chapter 1:**

Escaping from Asgard took everything Loki had. More dead bodies, more of his own bodily harm, more use of his exhausted magic, and the agility of a black cat in the pitch of night. But he made it out, and with the last of his strength jolted himself off Asgard from a secret place Heimdall could not see and onto the first place he thought of—Midgard.

When arriving with Thor back into Asgard it felt like he was entering enemy territory. Everything familiar felt threatening and alien, he found no joy or relief at being home. _Home_ …was it ever his home? It hurt more than he would admit to see the disappointment etched over Odin's drawn face. His mother looked more teary-eyed than angry or disappointed, but she wasn't allowed near him, so he never did find out if she was mourning for him, or simply utterly devastated by the actions of her son, or even that of the Jotun monster. It hurt to imagine the last. It _hurt_. He hated it hurting, he wished he could not feel anything for these people. He hated Odin, he hated Thor, he hated Asgard, he hated Fri- no…he'd never hate Frigga, she had never been anything but a loving mother. At least he had that… but he didn't want to feel any of it. He felt justified in his actions on Midgard and neither Odin nor Thor would make him feel like he'd done anything wrong.

And he would _not_ be punished for it. So he escaped. Though he hated Midgardians, they were the least of his worries. Humans were weak, and as long as the Avengers didn't know where he was he could hide for a very long time. His failure had caused a large stir in the realms and brought the spot light on him, so any other realm would be useless to hide on, they'd single him out and throw him at Thanos' mercy out of spite. Perhaps it would have been safer to be imprisoned on Asgard. As much as Thor was upset with him he'd never let anyone barge in and hurt him, he was Thor's weakness and he knew it. Everyone knew it. But he didn't want to depend on Thor, he wanted to hate Thor and show everyone he was the mighty man he was never seen as.

With no sceptre or Tesseract Loki had to rely purely on his own powers. There was no bewitching minions, no army, no help. He was all alone. He immediately went underground when he crashed onto Earth through the portal, straight into a dark stinking alley. No one seemed to notice him but that was good. No one of _humankind_ , though.

As it turned out, the streets were teeming with creatures of all kinds. They hid, like him, associating with only each other when in public and disguised with magic into human forms. They slunk around quickly when in the open, beggars, odd strangers, suspicious looking people, even some scantily dressed women standing on street corners. But Loki could see what they really were if he stared hard enough through their magical mirage, and followed them. He couldn't help feeling a little hopeful at the prospect of non-human company that was _not_ anyone from Asgard.

Loki got more than he thought possible.

Guided by two oblivious trolls disguised as human fishermen Loki found the _Troll Market_. It was magnificent. It was a haven for non-humans to escape to from the bustle of humanity crowding the streets upstairs. No one seemed to look at him twice, and when they did he had the strangest feeling that they knew _what_ he was. Maybe they could see through his Asgardian form as easily as he saw through their glamour. Maybe they could see his blue skin, his red eyes, and they didn't seem bothered in the least. Nevertheless he wandered about in awe, gawking at the many species he and Thor and the Warrior's Three had fought on their adventures, all here living amongst each other as if they were all one.

But maybe they were. It was _them_ and the _humans_ , Loki realised. He had never felt more at home, even though the Troll Market held the more undesirables of their community. He had no idea such a place existed on Midgard, but how could it not? Humans had invaded almost every crevice of the world, where had the other beings fled to? Into hiding, it seemed like. It made Loki grit his teeth more, but the people here looked content, going about their business just as the humans did up top, as if the other didn't exist.

Stealing food was no problem, but accommodation was. He knew no one and though everyone looked like they got along, Loki saw the challenge between each race as they commuted and traded. Would they help an Asgardian? …A Jotun? An ex-Asgardian war criminal that nearly exposed their world by unleashing an alien army on New York? Loki wasn't so sure.

But luck was on his side. Before spending more than a few days out in the open Loki met an alluring Elf male. The man promised him shelter and warmth. Loki was suspicious, but the man simply stated his loved his brethren of all kinds. It was a gamble, but he still had enough energy to defend himself should it turn sour. He followed the Elf home. The man walked with the grace of a warrior, not a sorcerer, so it put Loki at ease somewhat should he need to defend himself. He trained with Thor, he could handle any warrior's antics.

As promised the man delivered and Loki found himself impressed by his home. It was not in a great palace but it held so much history inside it. Ancient relics of the Ljósálfar of Alfheimr lining the walls, runes and scattered books of lost times and tales of all lands—Loki couldn't contain his intrigue. While Alfheimr had never been of particular interest, especially with Fandral and Thor filling his head with images of their orgies with Elven women at official invitations, he found himself basking in the ancient knowledge locked in this one room.

The Elf, as it turned out, was Prince Nuada Silverlance, only son of King Balor who settled on Midgard a few millenia ago. Odin had spoken well of King Balor when his name rose, but he'd never gotten cosy with him or his people more than necessary for peace so Loki never bothered to either. Thor did it enough for the both of them, both impressing and offending the elves, depending on their gender.

But Loki had never known of Nuada, and Nuada laughed when he admitted that, and said "Good, it was never my intention to be well known. The more mouths that utter your name the less freedom you have."

It was truer than Loki cared to admit.

It was strangely comforting to be in the presence of another prince, Elf or not. Loki graciously accepted his hospitality and after hours of talking he felt as if he found his long lost twin. Nuada was a misunderstood son, exiled, different to his own kind, and hated the humans. He had also killed his own father. Loki felt for once that someone actually understood him. As if under an enhancement, Loki ended up blubbering out all his pent up thoughts and emotions. Nuada listened closely and kept refilling his goblet with wine, never judging, never pulling his lips, never shaking his head. Loki couldn't help it, and with the influence of the alcohol and his own heart's sorrow he let out everything, his anger, his sadness, his emptiness, his helplessness, his longing… And yet felt as if he'd told no one. He couldn't understand it, but Nuada would just smile at him and tell him to rest first, think later.

And so he did. Loki accepted Nuada's hospitality and thanked him for his kindness. He rested, he healed, and he regained his strength and tried not to think about all the people looking for him. Maybe Thor would finally give up on him this time…not even Thor could have a heart big enough to search again…

But what he did think about was his next plan. He kept that to himself mostly, and slipped out to think. Nuada let him come and go as he pleased, advising him on which areas to keep away from and where to find the best bargains. Loki held his tongue, he didn't want to offend his only ally, and explored the secret world beneath the humans' very feet. It was like nothing he excepted, and laughed at the look on the Avengers should they find this place.

Days turned into weeks, and quickly into a couple months. Loki ventured further and further, still undetected and with no sign of being found, and eventually found a race that outnumbered any of those in the Troll Market. While there were about twenty trolls maximum dwelling in the area, there were hundreds of _these_ creatures. At first he had been thoroughly confused, but completely awed at the same time.

 _Vampires_ , they were called. Beings that fed off blood. There were no such beings on Asgard or any of the realms he knew of. He knew many creatures that fed of energy but this was the first time meeting blood-drinkers. They fed of the blood of humans and couldn't stand the glare of the sunlight, driven by primal instincts and prowled about at night like sophisticated beasts.

Loki was too curious for his own good.

Nuada of course—being wiser—expressed concern when Loki arrived home and ranted excitedly about the powerful creatures of the night.

"They cannot be controlled, Loki." Nuada repeated, following Loki through the room they now together called home. Or at least, verbally—Loki was _not_ the sentimental type. "Those beings are nothing but beasts."

"Yes but not _all_ of them." Loki said, purposely winding around innocently in the opposite direction whenever Nuada drew closer to meeting his gaze. Once Nuada got into his inner debates it was difficult to stick with his original plans. He never claimed they were smart or thoroughly thought out, but the possible (and likely result) of them were too glorious to pass up because of dangerous probabilities. Nuada analysed more than Loki wanted to dwell on. Plans fail anyway, and he would not sit about trying to plan _the_ perfect one while the worlds lay about laughing at him. At least his dedicated persistence, whether they amount to failures, would be seen as commitment and determination.

Nuada seemed to feel that Loki should think more before he acted, but this topic seemed to bother him much more than the usual, and it was not expected. Nuada was a veteran for all non-human folk, and to find out he actually had a problem with a non-human race was surprising to Loki. And that only made him more stubborn to stick by his new idea. Powerful and dangerous things were always made taboo and unreachable.

"Loki, look at me." Nuada growled lowly, latching on forcefully to Loki's arm. It brought the younger to a stop, and earned Nuada a warning glare. "Just hear my words. They are a wild and malevolent race. They have no honour or purpose like us."

Perhaps that was so, but neither had the Chitauri. Loki only need soldiers, he didn't care about their honour—he cared about their power.

"They will not grant you the help you need. I know I cannot provide the hand of destruction you seek but neither can they."

How would he know if he never tried? What was Loki if he never tried…?

Loki promptly ignored Nuada's warnings and went out to seek a willing ally… But as it turned out the vampires were not easy to negotiate with. Those of importance, those that actually held control over their masses, were not to be found, and apparently his name meant nothing to them. The middle men Loki approached ironically treated him like a pest under a boot, and more than once tried to attack him. They met their deaths of course, and Loki realised he had to be more careful, and returned home with injuries each night, still at a loss.

Until he saw _him_. Swift like a sailing shadow in the night, tall like an Elf but broad like an Aesir warrior, he executed a group of vampires faster than Thor lifting Mjolnir. Loki slunk into the shadows and hid as the strange man turned them to ash without a hint of effort. He made it look like a common thing, as if it was mere sport, and disappeared soon after.

But Loki followed. And followed. And followed. Knowledge was power and Loki sought it out. Nuada was no help in the area, he didn't mix with vampires (they were of demon origin of the Earth, he said, a savage cousin to the humans, showing their true colours), so Loki asked around the vampires when he learnt how to hold his own against them. There wasn't much to be learnt of the mysterious man, but he wasn't human himself, and the vampires feared him, and that was more than enough to impress Loki.

He wanted to try again for victory. He _needed_ to try again. But this time there would be no sign for the Avengers, and it would come from beneath their very feet. Humans could become vampires if infected, he learnt, and grinned broadly. He could have an entire army in no time at all, he just needed a commander. Someone who knew them, someone stronger than them, someone who could lead them…

Someone that was called Blade.

**XxXxXx**

There was no reason to show that this particular night wouldn't be like all the others. The moon was waning, the stars were twinkling, and the sky was clear. The clear sky meant no rain, which was good for Blade as he tracked dozens of familiar disgusting scents. He was surprised his nose was still in working order.

Turning sharply down every alley and corner he planned to check this night, Blade kept a sharp eye for the kind of movements humans didn't make. It was easy to spot a vampire when they were unaware of being watched. Rogue vampires moved much to fast and unnaturally to be considered normal, but they hid it well, coming off as young junkies energized from ecstasy pills. It was an easy thing to compare, but that made it difficult in a crowd where scents, voices and movement where combined into a massive sea of hypnosis.

Clad in his leather suit and armour, Blade's cloak clipped as he hurried along, sword hidden, gun a hand's reach away. With his shades on securely he caught everything, undisturbed by bright lights from the clubs and street lights or the pitch black of the corners, and scanned the area. This particular stretch of town was usually empty, but more often than not it was where vampires brought their young victims from the rave-clubs littering the industrial side of town.

His boots crunched softly on the ground, purposely, and he evened his breathing and heart rate. Many times vampires, in their bloodlust and stupid confidence mistook him for a human and tried their luck—but they met the afterlife before realising what happened. He enjoyed posing as a human, the smirks he got to wipe of their ugly faces were priceless, and being a man that did not indulge in much of anything, that was saying something.

Beyond the blocks and corridors of the alleys laughter and voices echoed softly, but carried loudly enough for him to pick up. He could detect stressed patterns in a person's tone, and if it was suspicious enough he'd track them and possibly find a vampire attack. It was sad how the local law enforcement ignored such crimes. They were written off as mere murders, fights that got out of hand and accidents as most of the victims were undesirables like clubbers, prostitutes, drug dealers, homeless people, and even gangsters. They were the type of people the police often fought with, so Blade could guess their deaths were purposely ignored, probably thanks to familiars _inside_ the law. Because of this the vampires had a perfect feeding ground. Sometimes their attacks surfaced to the everyday folk, but Blade couldn't stop each and every attack. It wasn't because of the people he killed vampires, he didn't hunt every single night to purposely save people. He hunted vampires every single night to get rid of as many of them as possible. He hated them. But he'd save people on the way, because it was the right thing to do.

Sometime before midnight he finally acknowledged a nag at the back of his mind, but kept it hidden and continued on. His gut told him he was being followed, but he could sense nothing. Eventually he grew irritable and growled in the back of his throat, turning around to catch his follower—

But no one was there.

Snorting like a moody lion he turned back and marched along in the dark, slipping by a club, its party-animals congregated outside in huddles as they smoke and drank. Blade was nearing the harbour now, a hot spot for grab-and-kill drop-offs. It wasn't a pretty sight even for him to find the bodies of young woman sprawled in the docks and thrown behind shipping containers. Though many looked for trouble, becoming too drunk to watch themselves, Blade felt pity for them, vampires could trick you into anything when you were unaware.

The shadows were still tonight, the air stagnant and heavy with fumes of vehicles. Rodents scurried along the walls and into the drains, creating an equivalent to crickets and birds chirping in the country side. Blade was about to slip down with them now for his underground rounds when he saw someone skulking strangely into the shadows. He couldn't make out the silhouette but with every step he took the further it seemed. He narrowed his eyes and he began to rush, finally catching up to the solid shadow. It stood out from the wall, he could see it better, and he reached out to grab its shoulder—but grasped air.

He jerked forward and quickly balanced himself, glancing around wildly for the person. He knew there had been someone here, and no human could evade him so fast. Blade levelled his breathing again, trying to hear over the sounds in his immediate vicinity, when he felt a presence behind him.

His sense already deducted it was not human, so without holding back he swirled with practised skill and swung out a fist, missing whoever it was by a hair's length.

As he missed his target, he saw that it was a woman. Tall, pale, flowing black hair, and green eyes that lit up her sharp face. She had a look of surprise on her face as she jerked back to avoid the attack, holding her hands up as if in surrender.

Before he could decide to strike out again she spoke quickly, gasping out in relief with a quick glance to the large fist still in mid-air.

"Whoa! Big boy!" the woman called, teasing him with positively mischievous smirk. Of all the things worth noticing on her gorgeous frame, it was the two glistening fangs that Blade saw first. He followed the 'beat first, ask questions later' motto his mentor had taught him, especially when it came to vampires. Without another second's wait the hunter withdrew his fist and swung the other. Again the woman dodged, moving with the speed of his enemy. Blade growled irritably and darted after her.

Blade was expertly trained in hand-to-hand combat, it gave him the edge when fighting face to face with vampires. Too many of them depended on their supernatural strength and thought themselves almighty. They failed to realise having strength means nothing if you do not know how to use it.

But strangely, the woman put up an impressive evasion. Blade wouldn't call it a fight as he hadn't been able to lay a hand on her, she dodged and slipped out of every grip he caught her in. She was petite and extremely agile. More than once he debated on grabbing her by her hair, but the chase was entertaining.

Fighting to keep her hands behind her back, Blade ran her towards the wall of the warehouse. Instead of colliding with the brick the woman lifted her feet and ran up the wall, breaking her hands free and kicking off, winding over his head and landing neatly a few feet away. He spun and swung open his cloak, grasping his sword as she straightened up, flipping back her hair. He lifted his trusty sword and took a steady stance, aiming the silver blade exactly where her heart would be.

Instead of attacking him the woman took an extra step back and held up a palm. "Calm down!" she said loudly, panting heavily. She pushed her hair from her face, scowling at him in a way that exaggerated the view of her teeth, "I have done nothing to warrant your sword."

"Disgusting _and_ delusional." Blade retorted, mostly to himself as if studying an animal for his university degree. He shrugged apathetically and raised his sword again, intent on having a pile of ash at his feet.

The vampire stuck out her palm again, raising her voice when she spoke. "WAIT! I was minding my own business, not-"

"Is that what they call stalking now? Or maybe you just don't know who I am?" he asked, blandly. He didn't speak much, he wasn't a social man.

The woman was silent for a few moments before she spoke, looking down at herself with a pull of her lips. "...Do you really I am disgusting? I think I look rather attractive."

Blade's mouth tightened into a thin line when she looked up and winked at him as if it was a joke. He swung his sword idly, remaining silent.

Slowly the naughty expression ebbed away and the vampire became serious, staring at him with an odd expression. "...A true soldier's heart, I see."

"I prefer warrior."

"Yet you hide in the shadows as the scum you hunt. I don't see the sense in that." she pulled a face, a rather sarcastic face. It only angered him further.

"What does it mean to you?"

"Oh, many things. I learnt of you by chance, and so far you live up to your reputation, Blade."

The way she said his name made Blade stiffen. She prolonged the 'L' in his name, tilting her chin out for effect, her eyes dancing in mirth. It wasn't often women uttered his name, and usually it was a hiss just before their deaths, but this woman acted as if she had been dying to meet him. That was possibly true, perhaps she was a solider sent to kill him? He'd love to see that.

"Why were you following me? It's not often I'm hunted, and when I am it doesn't end well for their pathetic asses." he said, lowering his sword slightly.

"Can't a lady stalk a handsome man?" she joked, shrugging lightly.

"Not with those fangs, bitch."

The woman pulled her face. "Ooh, not very polite. No wonder there is no woman in your life."

He raised a brow. "Have you been spying on me?"

"Not for long, there isn't much to find." she admitted, now pacing idly from side to side. "The only personal items that tell me anything is your sword and attitude, and even that reveals little besides your bloodlust."

"You would know all about bloodlust, vampire."

This time she took a few moments to answer, looking off. Her teasing expression was gone and in its place was a hidden glare. "...I would, but I've known worse cases. My brother, for instance..."

In his life time Blade had been through this a hundred times over. Every night it was the same story, every night it was just a different vampire. He didn't care what she had to say, all he needed to know was that she was a vampire and that she had been stalking him as he stalked her. If that wasn't suspicious grounds then he didn't know what was. He barely listened as she rambled on, and he took a moment to scan the area for any back up she might have. When he found none he decided to cut their meeting short, literally.

"So I think I'd know—"

"Just so you know in three seconds I'mma cut your head off." Blade circled his wrist and swung his blade one last time. It gleamed threateningly when it caught in the light of the moon, flashing over her face, surprising her.

The woman had been so deep in her own thoughts it took her a few seconds to grasp what he said, and when she did she barely managed to turn away in time to avoid his sword. A thick strand of hair separated from her head and she gasped, her blood going cold. It took all her skill and gut instinct to avoid the next few swings and put enough space between them to attempt and escape. Fear showed on her face and Blade inwardly smirked, having successfully wiped off her own stupid smirks.

Blade swung at her with terrible speed, aiming as best he could to catch her, but she jumped away each time, swinging herself with a trained skill not many had. He was mere seconds behind her, but when she ran into the shadows of the corner and failed to resurface he was stumped. He stood breathing heavily, staring at the corner the woman rushed into. It was almost pitch black but he could see the wall fine, and there was no place for her to go.

He looked up, but the warehouse was tall and he'd have heard her crawling up. Lost for options he tried to sniff her out, but with a shocking revelation he could smell no one but himself. She left no scent.

Blade had been bested for the first time in a long time.

**XxXx**

Hiding in the shadows with the help of old magic, green eyes kept a watchful eye on their object, and followed it home...

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Loki confronted Blade as a woman. Stereotypically women are quicker to gain trust. Loki won't be in a female form for this fic, just as a presentation.
> 
> I can't see Nuada particularly liking vampires, he is all about honour and hating humans. Vampires sort of come from humans, and really the types of vampires slinking around the streets are not big on honour. He'd like Drake though. Mmh…Drake Loki and Nuada in one bed, ehe…
> 
> This fic heads towards Loki x Nuada. Not Thorki.
> 
> I'd love comments, but that may be wishful thinking lol.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki follows Blade home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MMMkai, this chapter follows directly after the first. Loki followed Blade home. It's frustrating that his silver tongue isn't working as well as it used to. Methinks Hulk knocked it out.
> 
> I also want to mention that for the purposes of this fic I am going by the idea that Odin hoped to marry Thor and Loki to create peace and union between Asgard and Jotunheim, Loki bitches about this to Nuada in the prologue oneshot _The Magical Properties of Silver_. Loki and Odin's emotional scene in the film Thor makes it easy to imagine so, so let's pretend that is part of what upset Loki so much. And Thor didn't know it before then either, so it was also like WTF DAD for him. But Loki is the drama queen, he raised hell.
> 
> _I do not own any of these characters. Please excuse any and all errors and my bad writing in general._

**Chapter 2:**

Retiring for the night, Blade headed home. The sun was soon to rise and those blood suckers that escaped his grasp were crawling back into the pits they came from, like rats. It was a mildly successful night, save for the odd female that appeared out of nowhere and disappeared in exactly the same way. She couldn't be a big threat if she ran away when the situation got hot, but it still peeved him that she had taken up so much of his time and still gotten away with it.

He couldn't recall knowing who she was, whether friend or enemy, she didn't ring a bell or divulge any information. While she was certainly a sight to behold, and a mystery (thus a danger) it wasn't something he wanted to keep thinking about. Distractions made you unfocused, being unfocused led to death.

His old home had been taken over by the authorities after Whistler died, but it wasn't difficult to relocate. The industrial side of town was covered in many empty warehouses and hidden facilities. Though it provided vampires homes, it also provided him with one. His current dwelling was a lot smaller than the last but it was more secure and hidden, and he liked it that way. He liked his privacy, and living with Hannibal and the Nightstalkers made for too much noise and distraction. And sadly, as much as he tried to imagine it on those rare nights, he could never live a normal life like a normal man. Everyone had their own cross to bear, and he proudly carried his.

With his car parked and secured he jogged upstairs, removing his sword to place it on the work table as he passed it to his bedroom. The place he coveted had only two rooms besides a bathroom. One he used to meditate and sleep, the other he used to prepare himself and his weaponry.

Just as he entered his room he unclasped his cloak and threw it aside, but froze the next second at the unquestionable instinct that he was not alone. And unfortunate on his bed laid a reclining figure, relaxing back on their elbows as if sunbathing on a Hawaiian beach.

In a split Blade he drew a gun from his waist and aimed it that the same green-eyed woman from before, a little red dot marking a special bull's eye on her chest. A beat passed, and she looked up at him from under her long eye lashes, looking more confident than she had their first meeting.

"Not very comfy..." she said calmly, playing with the blanket between her fingers, her nails painted black, "...but much better than a cell I suppose."

Blade tilted his head at her stupidity. "You shouldn't have followed."

"Stop being so serious." She grumbled, but rose up from the bed, and began to approach him. Her hips swayed like a natural born dancer, her steps light and even, her expression implying things Blade never interested himself with. His jaw tightened and he kept his aim on her heart. The vampire smiled seductively, very lightly, and when she was close enough she reached out to feel his chest.

Her hand never landed. Blade hit it aside, using the moment of surprise to grab her by the throat, twisting her around. She yelped and lost her balance, and fell back into his chest where he held her tightly, squeezing the air from her pipe. The cold ring of the gun's tip pressed against her temple as she struggled. She spat like a cat drenched and clawed warningly at his arm, "Kill me and you'll never know who I am!"

"Then tell me now so I can kill you and sleep peacefully." he retorted, wincing silently as she dug into his arm with her nails.

She made a loud cry of frustration and sucked in a breath to speak. "You're the stiffest male on Midgard I've ever come across! Usually you'd be sticking something else into—"

Blade's eyes popped open behind his glasses at the language and he shook her roughly, "Motherfucker if you don't speak—"

"Then release me and I shall!" she screeched. Blade was surprised she didn't stomp her foot.

He debated for a second before he shoved her away, jerking up his aim once more. The woman stumbled to find balance and made a noise of indignation, feeling around her neck. She glared at him, mouth agape, clearly appalled by his behaviour. With no apology in sight she bit her lip irritably and straightened up, dusting off the invisible dust motes.

"You are a _terrible_ host. And I was led to believe it's frowned upon to mishandle women on...here."

"You're no woman." he said curtly. Male and female blood suckers were of the same strength, it all depended on their personal status like age and DNA. Women were at no disadvantage. And since they acted like monsters he treated them no differently to a male.

The woman frowned heavily. "What..." she trailed off and looked down pointedly at herself. She slid her hands around her slim waist and just below her breasts, then looked up, confused. "...Then what am I?"

"If you need someone to tell you that then you have problems."

"Yes, well, I've always had an identity crisis." she said sourly.

"...Bloodsuckers are all the same. Unless you're Mother Mary reborn as a vampire spokesperson, don't bother, I'm not interested."

The woman raised a disbelieving brow and made a noise at the back of her throat. Thought flash in her cunning green eyes like a deadly omen. "What if I did this?" she murmured, and with the spread of her burgundy lips she pulled open her corset with a few clicks. It popped open and revealed her flesh, perfect rounded breasts moulded over her flat body. She was as pale as most vampires, her lightly coloured nipples a pinkish brown. And as beautiful a sight she was, Blade didn't notice.

The man kept his eyes trained on her face, his gun still aiming the red target dot just above her breast. His focus didn't waver, and when the cold and humiliation began to nip at her flesh she covered herself back up with a dead-panned expression. Blade pulled his face impatiently in reply.

"...Really?" she asked irritably as she fluffed her hair out.

"I don't fuck suckheads."

The insult didn't land, instead she smirked. "Well that's too bad, _suck heads_ sound-"

"Look here, Miss Whoever-you-are," Blade cut in rudely. "I'm not interested in any cheap thrills you have to offer. I can stick you but it will be with either my gun or—"

The female's jaw dropped and she thrust out a hand at him, spreading her fingers with a cry. "Okay! Okay! _Enough_! You are a terrible person in general! Odin's ravens..."

Blade chose to answer despite his better judgement. "You all made me this way."

"...And the humans are any better?"

"Human is right."

The woman looked away and folded her arms. When she looked back at him she wore a bitter expression, her jaw moving side to side. "Humans...are fickle and weak. Why does everyone fuss over them? And you, Blade the famous vampire hunter, why do _you_ do so much to protect them? Didn't they turn against you? Hunt you? Kill that man that raised—"

A gun pointing abruptly at her forehead shut her up, Blade within clear reach before it could be anticipated. There was an interesting tale to go with this man, and his abilities interested the green-eyed Trickster even more. So far he was indeed as strong and fast as they said him to be, but there was more to find...

"Don't say a word about him or I will blow your teeth out. He's resting without you fuckers to worry about." Blade sneered between grit teeth.

The threat was duly noted and the woman took a deep breath, her gaze flicking back and forward between the man and his beloved weapon. When she spoke she did so slowly and evenly. "...You are of vampire essence, Blade, and you are more one than you are human. Why do you side with them? They—"

"Whatever they did to me is because of the leads your kind and the fucking familiars forced in their path. Nothing you can say will change my mind."

"...What if I could give you power? Pull you from skulking around the underground and standing tall as a leader should. You have no respect, no followers, no allies. You could have so much if you rose to the occasion."

Blade lowered his gun, and sarcastically waved it around. "How, exactly? Wait let me guess. By marrying you, the slutty daughter of some vampire asshole King and I become the little prince by default?"

A dramatic sigh fell from her lips, and she shrugged apathetically. "Well... it wouldn't be the first time for me."

"Oh yeah, the men must be lining up."

Surprising Blade, the woman smiled. She genuinely smiled, her eyes twinkling in mirth. Not a smirk, or grin, but a smile. "You are not swayed at all?" she asked and placed her hands on her hips, leaning to the right. She looked at him like he was a magical creature prancing by—it was unnerving.

"By your tits or teeth?" he replied lowly, beginning to long for an end to this odd conversation. Her business here was still unanswered, and he hated being left in the dark when it came to vampires.

She laughed lightly, shaking her head in wonder. When it died down she sighed loudly, as if suddenly tired, and lifted a hand to wave at him. "...I don't _want_ to seize control but if you won't come quietly..."

"Do your worst, chicken-shit." Blade smirked.

The woman chuckled again, and looked away with a shake of her head. She walked towards the nearest wall, and turned back to see Blade positioning himself into a fighting stance. He had placed his gun on the bed and took up a position that could be guessed as one of what they called martial arts. He held a hand at his chest, one held out , and waited for her to ready herself. He was harsh, but he liked a fair fight.

But the woman did not prepare herself. She only smiled wider, chuckling to herself as she paced before him. And then something strange started to happen. A soft glimmer appeared around the woman as she paced, shimmering as it fell towards the floor, taking with it the form of the woman, and leaving behind that of a man.

Though Blade's stance never wavered, his mind reeled and he stared, bewildered, as the wavy hair and curvaceous form drifted away into the air like magic. The person standing in her place could have been her twin brother, his black hair sleek and coming out at his shoulders. He shared her pale skin, and those stunning green eyes that danced with mirth in the exact same way hers had.

Though Blade hadn't paid much attention to her dressing it didn't seem to have changed much, besides a flat chest and a more plain style present instead of the corset look.

It was a man.

As the sparkling dust settled the green-eyed man laughed, his tongue poking out in a manner many once thought cute.

Blade didn't find anything funny and snatched his glasses off his face, afraid he might be hallucinating. "... _The fuck?_ "

The man smirked, and rubbed his hands together lightly. Still no fighting stance was assumed and Blade became somewhat uncomfortable and drew up his guard higher. His memories drifted to an old enemy, one of the very first vampires named Drake. He had been incredibly powerful and able to change his shape. Was this man like that too?

"Who are you?" Blade asked as he straightened up.

The man tilted his head, looking confused. "You haven't heard of me? At all?"

"I don't follow the news. Last time I was on it."

"And this time _I_ was. I am Loki, of Asgard, and I am—"

"Never heard of you. My business is keeping vampires and their like in the dirt where they belong, nothing more. Now, what the fuck are you?" Blade's baritone voice was accompanied by a clipped tone, contradicting the demand for answers and rather for silence.

Loki stared at the dark man, just managing to keep his jaw dropping stupidly. He didn't expect to be treated like a king but neither did he expect to be treated like shit. Even the Avengers hadn't spoken like _this_ to him. With his ego bruised his cheeks flushed, and the anger bubbled. "...I am a god, you _half breed_."

Blade scoffed, and Loki tensed. "In your own fucked up mind. A god wouldn't come down here dressed as a woman to seduce a black man."

Loki laughed without humour, and gave a playful wink, pulling his lips as if that hurt. "...You'd be surprised, Blade."

"You are not a vampire? Or a woman." Blade added, annoyingly confused.

"I can be anything I want with a little whisper of words. I am gifted."

"And you choose to be a woman? Confused as well."

"...I thought it would gain your trust faster than a male form." Loki grudgingly admitted after a pause.

"You were trying to seduce me, _Loki_. But you still haven't answered me. _What do you want_?"

What did he want? The same thing he had strived so hard for and watched it all fall to pieces at the hands on the Avengers. Loki wanted one more try, one more chance, just once more... "...An ally."

Blade answered immediately, upsetting Loki. "I work alone—"

"Not to kill those beasts, to—! ...You have a one-tracked mind." The Trickster noted, looking at Blade as if he spoke another language. All the man seemed to think of were vampires.

"Something tells me I'm not the only one." Blade muttered, placing his hands behind his back. He stood in a controlled manner, one that exuded authority and discipline. It reminded Loki why he liked the man so, he was serious and focused, and besides the Captain and perhaps the female none of the Avengers were.

"...Perfect pair." he breathed, locking gazes.

They held it for a few moments in which Loki tried his best to get under his skin in some way— _any_ way. Once you're in, you're in. But Blade looked away with a nasal exhale. "Not interested."

"Have you heard of the Avengers? I wish to prove a point to them. Third time's the charm they say, I am only on my second try. It would be most helpful if you joined me." Loki could be nice if he wanted to, he wasn't a horrible person in general.

Blade however, didn't give a fuck either way. "Quit your childish whining and go home."

That was it for Loki's threshold. It snapped and he stepped forward with a glare. "Listen here you-"

Blade was prepared, perhaps anticipating it. He stepped forward and jut out a trained palm, latching onto Loki's slim neck and lifting him off his very feet. Loki's breath disappeared like a leaf in a gale storm, but he managed to swing a leg, catching Blade in the stomach. The hard armour was no longer there and Blade felt the shot. He grunted and lowered Loki somewhat. The weakness was noted and Loki kicked until he was dropped, and immediately lashed out with his fist.

All of those years of training and rough housing with Thor had paid off in the long run, even if it had taken up his reading time. Loki was equipped in hand to hand battle—but he was no expert. Magic and sorcery was his strong point, he was good at magic, and magic was good to him. But he was still a god compared to this man, his strength should overpower his own. Yes that green beast had bested him him, but it had also singlehandedly taken down a few of the leviathans as well, Loki wondered if _anything_ could take it down.

It was both thrilling and frightening to Loki as the mortal man held his own as if he was an equal, his moves sharp but well aimed, his breathing paced and his foot work fancy. It was much more of a challenge than battling his brother or any of the male Avengers as they used physical force, whereas Blade mixed speed as well as strength.

Soon Loki began to pant, struggling to avoid being punched in the face or even landing his own. He thrust forward his fist—it was caught, and he was swung forward into a grip he just barely squirmed out. He jerked out a knee—but it was met with another, bone colliding painfully with a loud smack. He aimed for a cheap low blow—but it was blocked and he was met with a kick. Nothing but the rustle of clothes and heavy breathing was heard until Loki gasped in genuine pain as Blade caught him in the gut with an elbow. He double over, his body tense and aching. Before he could recover and see straight a very large hand clamped on the back of his neck— _and squeezed_.

" _AAAH!_ " Loki cried out in a long, withdrawn wail. His vision grew black spots, and thus prompted by desperation he jumped to his last resort.

His heritage.

Before he fell into darkness he reached over his shoulder with grit teeth and grabbed onto Blade's wrist. His eyes flashed red, but Blade didn't see it, and he willed the cold of the underworld into his palm.

Blade wasn't prepared to let go no matter how much whining and pleading he was met with, but he was still sensitive enough to feel the abrupt stab of pain as ice dug into his wrist. The temperature was damningly cold and more than a dozen little thorns had thrust into his skin, drawing blood to mix with the water.

" _Argh_!" The larger man pulled away with a loud wince and flicked his wrist vigorously, staring at it as if it was surrounded by a slab of ice. It felt so, but it wasn't.

Loki took the opportunity to roll away, coughing and clutching his stomach as he clumsily rose to his feet. He blushed discreetly at the failure and slumped back against the wall, clenching his blue fist to will away his hidden side. The ice fell away at his strong repulsion for its mere existence within him and along with it Blade's blood, dotting the beige floor.

"Do not... handle me like _that_!" Loki spat as soon as he was able to. His pride had taken a blow just as his body, but he had to keep trying.

"Bitch," Blade retorted, straightening up as he clenched his fist to get the blood flowing faster.

Loki's jaw fell further as his pride did. "I am a man!"

Though Blade didn't mean it in that way he didn't bother to say so. In fact, he'd spur it on seeing as it annoyed the so called _god._ "Tch, yeah, those tits looked pretty real."

It took all Loki's control not to make an attempt on the hunter's life. He went back to what he did best—mind manipulation. "...I see. I gather such appendages don't catch your eye?"

"You keep talking and it's going nowhere—only a little girl does that."

"Watch you tongue!"

" _Ooh_ , scary." Blade faked a shiver.

Loki cocked his head, glaring lightly, but admirably. "You are so sure of yourself, but not arrogant. It's a nice change."

"From what?"

"...Fools."

Blade sighed. He was tired of beating around the bush. "So, you want an alliance. Why me? I don't care about your godly problems. Hell, I don't give a fuck if aliens landed and shook the president's hand."

A very naughty smile twitched across Loki's face at the irony. He gathered the man knew little about the world above him, spending his days and nights fighting underground. But that was good, a neutral party was much easier to persuade. "So there is nothing I can offer you for a partnership? Nothing at all?"

Blade could guess a few shallow things the man, like so many others, could offer, but it didn't sway him. "Probably not. Now leave."

It was the most polite 'Get out' he was going to get, so Loki accepted it. He had his say for now, he would continue again after it has settled and rooted deeply in the man's mind. "...I might be back." He teased with an almost wink.

"Don't expect a welcome party." Blade scoffed, and turned away. When he looked back, Loki was gone. How he walked through solid walls Blade didn't think he wanted to know. He almost wished him to be a vampire, because this was new and not very good...

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> loki threw on harry's invisibility cloak to slip past blade, btw
> 
> Blade isn't swayed by money, power or boobs. So how do you get to a man like that? Especially after making him suspicious by approaching him in the wrong way to begin with? It's as productive as asking Cap to team with Loki. Ain't doing it willingly.
> 
> Also, I'm not an expert in strength levels but Blade packs a punch. This is after the Drake plot line and like many delicacies, they get stronger and better as they age. He can't quite tear Loki apart though, not yet at least. So if you are stuck on that subject, please unstuck yourself. Go read about Loki's boobs. Which still wouldn't be as big as Cap's moobs though.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Next chapter Loki messes with Blade again, some Whistler dreams, and Hannibal King makes an glorious appearance. Ryan Reynolds guys. Ryan Reynolds.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all supporting me and my weirdness.
> 
> I do not own these characters. I praise those who do though.
> 
> Adding in Afari coz I don't like rly OCs. And I grew up watching Whistler so I couldn't part with him as Blade's mentor in favour of Afari, never read the comics to grow attached.
> 
> Also, Guillemio Del Toro is a god.
> 
> _I apologize for spelling errors._ Feel free to point out annoying spelling mistakes.

** Chapter 3: **

Blade hated it when something bothered him. People worried about trivial things like breaking a heel, losing a phone and missing a football game. It was all petty, and he tried to avoid stress, even that of his own. But he could not avoid the nagging reoccurrence of that green-eyed imp.

_Loki_.

It had been three days since he last saw him and his curiosity only worsened. Just who was that man that spoke as if he was such royalty? Blade knew little about the Avengers. It had been a long time ago since he saw Nick Fury. The Director had been keeping tabs on him, but he hadn't given it a care because he was doing nothing wrong. His unfortunate appearance on the news caught the attention of the S.H.I.E.L.D agency and Fury made a sudden appearance, offering him to disappear in exchange for his expert services. But he was not a team player and he was the only ( _qualified_ and _good…_ ) one around fighting the battle underground, while the Avengers had a whole team to bother with the public problems. Even so, it would do him no good to know exactly who the hell they all were. He was a monster, an outcast, and he was fine with that. His commitment was set and he didn't expect help, he didn't need it either. The clearer his mind was the better he was, there was no need to read the news and distract his mind.

Until that bastard showed up and electrocuted his curiosity.

Instead of his usual rounds Blade made a U-turn and exited the warehouse area in favour of downtown where the city was still alive. People went about their business as usual, nothing was out of place, save for Blade himself who drew the attention of many due to his odd leather attire. His cloak billowed out as he rode down the busy streets on his motorbike, his weapons hidden from the public eye. He wasn't exempted from the law, unfortunately, he had to keep a very low profile especially after his last trouble.

Out of habit he scanned the streets for any suspicious loiterers, vampire and human alike, and eventually made his way to an old friend's shop.

He parked his bike on the curb and headed straight inside, the door ringing its familiar homely ring. The man behind the counter looked up sharply from his tinkering with an old watch, obviously on alert for criminals. As soon as he recognised Blade he lit up in a second and stood, throwing out a hand.

"Yo, Blade! How you doing, man?"

Blade smiled, and leaned over the counter for an earthy hug. "The same as usual, Afari."

"What can I do for you? Don't tell me that new serum isn't working anymore?" Afari asked, quickly concerned.

"It's working fine. I actually came for some information." Blade leaned on the counter, not particularly happy with actually going through with this. If anything it was almost embarrassing.

Afari pulled his lips and gave a welcoming shrug. "Okay, on what? Or who?"

Blade gave a sideways glance at the door, annoyed at himself for letting it come this far. "Something to do with a man called Loki."

The man behind the counter leaned on an elbow and frowned for a few moments before he leaned over the counter with an almost amused expressed. " _Loki_? You mean that devil-horned menace who destroyed New York? The one where Iron Man was involved?"

It sounded like gibberish to Blade. He recalled _Iron Man_ , the egotistical jerk with billions of dollars, but he didn't know much other than the regular citizen. Probably less. He never _needed_ to. "I don't keep up with the news. But yeah, him."

"Man... Apparently he's some mythical deity that ain't so much a myth. The newspapers didn't say much, I guess they didn't wanna freak the public. But that was some real shit. Magic, aliens. That part of New York was totalled. Apparently this _Loki_ had a grudge against his brother Thor, that big blond dude who looks like he fell out the Conan movie. Like, the actual God of Thunder. So long story short, Loki ran away from home all pissy, found an alien army up in space and took his anger out on New York. Or something like that."

By now Blade had his brows raised and his tongue in his cheek. He would've dismissed it as bullshit had the event not been obviously a public display. "They get more childish each time."

"I know right?"

"But they defeated him and killed the army?" Blade guessed. Escape from imprisonment was easy enough with help or a solid plan, and with that Loki's magic tricks it was simple to assume he escaped.

"Oh yeah. Took his ass back to _Asgar_ or whatever. It's all been _hush hush_ since then."

"Hmm..."

"Why?"

"...Nothing, just heard about it and thought I'd find out. Thanks."

Afari didn't look sold but he didn't question either. They shared a warm handshake. "Any time. Need anything?"

"No thanks. Look after yourself." Blade added before he stepped out into the chilly air.

"I will if you do."

So Loki was an escaped war criminal. He had had a family dispute and waged war on random people in the city? Utterly childish, Blade thought. Or maybe there was a deeper story. Everyone had a deeper story. Himself, Whistler, Jared Nomak, even Frost; they all had reasons for how they were. Maybe Loki had his reasons...but then why approach with lies and deceit? It automatically labelled him as an enemy in Blade's mind.

Loki failed in his task and now he wants a second try? His big ole alien army didn't work so he'd going to try closer to home?

' _Good luck to him_ ,' Blade thought with a hint of humour. He worked for no one.

_Helplessness._

_Vulnerable_.

_Weak..._

Blade had never felt so utterly powerless. It was dark. Then it was light. No, it was all dark, but not pitch black. And there, a hazy light flashed past every few moments, but he couldn't make out a thing.

He was on his feet, shirtless, his chest heaving abnormally.

Panting. He was panting. Why?

He couldn't find out. A strike of panic shot down his spine when he realised that he couldn't move. He was standing upright on his feet but he couldn't move. He tried his feet—nothing. He tried his hands—nothing.

Panicked seized him in a choke hold but no matter how hard he tried his body refused to respond. He could feel his body, his limbs, his fingers, but he couldn't command them. Except for his eyes.

Taking advantage of the ability he strained to see where he was and what was happening, soft grunts of effort escaping his lips. The haze of light among the darkness taunted him, moving all around him and yet revealing nothing. It was as if nothinsg was there, it was blank and empty. How could it? Where was he?

Again he tried to move, but in vain. Maybe he was hallucinating, maybe it was a dream? Uncomfortable, he shut his eyes and squeezed them tight, and willed himself to be very, very lucid when he opened them. He took a deep concentrated nasal breath, and opened his eyes.

Scraggly grey hair.

That was the first thing to register in Blade's mind; scraggly grey hair. Immediately, even before his mind put a name to the features, a flood of warmth and security filled through his body. The very next second he found he could move as if there had never been a problem, and leaned forward, unable to understand what he was seeing.

"...Whistler?" he croaked, and coughed heavily. A hand reached for his throat and he squeezed it, as if it would stop the horrible scratchiness that ailed it. His whole throat felt like it was made of sand paper, his voice cracked like one suffering a terrible cold. He had never had a common sickness before, his immune system was much too strong, but he imagined this is what it might feel like. It almost hurt, and the very next thought was for water.

But that thought was lost when the familiar apparition spoke in the same old crude way Blade would never forget. "'Bout goddamn time you woke up, son. I thought you were taking a dirt nap on me."

Blade's heart twisted...how he missed this man. He coughed, stilling holding his throat, and tried to clear his voice. It made little difference, and he found he was thirsty. Oh so _very_ thirsty... "...How are you here?"

Whistler looked the same as he always had, looking down at Blade with a scolding expression. "More important is how are _you_?"

How was he? He was always fine. He was Blade, he learnt a long time ago how to be _fine_ even if he wasn't. But this was Whistler, the man who raised him from a street rogue and into the brave heart he was today. All he ever had was this stubborn old man, and that stubborn old man would want to know the truth.

"...I don't feel well." Blade admitted, rubbing his throat uselessly. But he was still thirsty. His throat was so dry, unnaturally dry, it was overwhelming.

It was dangerous.

"What do you feel?" the old man asked, eyeing his movements.

Blade thought of a few different words, but he settled with one that Whistler would understand. "...Bad."

And he did. "Worse than before?"

"...Much. Dreams shouldn't hurt..."

"The mind can conjure all typs'a shit. But I'd say it's real. Feels real, don' it?" Whistler took a step forward, limping as he always did with that damaged leg of his. Blade had forever felt guilty for causing the injury, and made sure to protect the man when possible. When he was still alive...

Blade tried again to clear his throat, but it hurt more than it helped and his body screamed for a solution. In the back of his mind he heard the wicked chanting of things he didn't want to think about, and struggled to repress it. "...I can't..."

"You need some water? Or something stronger?" Whistler asked in a dark tone.

Blade couldn't answer. He couldn't speak, his throat was closing up, he could barely breathe. Both hands were at his throat, helplessly kneading and pressing, begging for the horrible sensation to disappear but it only grew worse. With every breath there was a little tickle in his throat that forced him to cough, aggravating the dryness.

Whistler watched him struggle, tilting his head with a sad expression. "If I was still here I could've helped."

Through his choking Blade felt his heart sink, flashes of his last moments with Whistler flashing through his mind. "...I know..." he croaked, swallowing continuously to lubricate the internal desert.

"Do you miss me? I think about you every day, boy. Every fuckin' day."

"...I wish you were still here."

"I bet. Sucks being dead. Missing out all the action." Whistler exhaled a short laugh, watching as Blade coughed and spluttered. "...Find me a replacement?" he asked.

Blade looked up at him as if he was confused, wheezing out an answer. "No one could replace you."

"Damn straight. I wish I was still here, suffering and kicking ass."

"Yeah..." Blade trailed off, his far away thoughts viciously ripped away by his thirst.

_An inhumane thirst._

"You don't look so good. Tell me what's wrong and maybe I can help you instead'a ya suffering in silence like a saint."

Blade shook his head vigorously, just barely able to stand upright. "Just...thirsty..."

"...Bad thirsty?" Whistler parroted. Blade just winced and looked away, ashamed of the sudden beastly craving.

But Whistler's next words made him freeze. "...Well...maybe you deserve a slip."

Blade didn't know how to answer, let alone react.

Whistler continued. "Everyone slips. Maybe you need to do it for once. Get rid of that thirst for a while until it boils over again, like now."

Was his thirst boiling over? Blade didn't like to talk or even think about his _thirst_. He was on a good serum now, but even rodents gained a resistance to the strongest poisons, he always knew it was a matter of time before his body did the same. _Again_...

"I don't hurt people."

"It's called an accident! Fuck boy, man up. You look like living shit, you need sustenance."

By now Blade knew this had to be a dream of some sort. Maybe a hallucination, and it was quick turning into a nightmare. Despite the illogic setting of everything he slapped his hands around his pants for his serum. His heart skipped a beat when he found it, but it sank when he saw that it was completely empty. "...Fuck..."

Whistler hobbled over, and leaned forward like he always had when concerned. But this time it felt all wrong to Blade. "No one will know, kid, and I won't judge you. It's for your health."

He sounded so convincing. He was Whistler, after all. But he had taught the opposite for many years. It was all wrong. "I can't. You taught me—"

"Fuck what I taught you. Dammit Blade I'm fuckin' dead, and what I taught you did jack-shit to change that."

In that moment the pain that struck his heart made him forget any discomfort in his throat. Yes, despite all his power and skill Whistler died in battle. It was what the stubborn old man had wanted, but secretly Blade had wanted him to have a peaceful death, or at the very least an asthma attack from all his smoking, rather than in battle. Guilt poured over him like an overturned bucket of paint and clung to him, suffocating him...

"You couldn't look after me so at least look after yourself!"

It just didn't make sense. None of it made sense. Whistler wouldn't say these things. It was so hard to think, so very hard, and Whistler wasn't making it any easier. "Whistler..."

The old man pointed to a random direction, raising his voice higher and higher and suffocating Blade more and more. "Go and fucking feed yourself. Must I tell you how to do everything!"

' _No._..' Blade thought frantically. He couldn't _feed_. He wasn't like the vampires, he was different. Fate made him different, and the thirst was simply his cross to bear. Whistler had kicked his ass so many times for trying to prey on humans when he was young, and he learnt quickly that it was wrong. Hurting innocents was wrong. In fact, it only took his morality to tell him that, Whistler was just a second reminder.

"One little girl won't make a difference in this god-forsaken world."

Blade froze. He stopped breathing, and stared at Whistler's damaged leg. The man was right in front of him now, looking straight into his face as if commanding him. Blade met his gaze.

But there was something horribly wrong.

Staring back at him weren't the eyes of Abraham Whistler.

Though they were the same shape and colour they lacked the very soul that made them Whistler's. It shook Blade as it dawned on him, and he stared straight into the eyes of a stranger, seeing past the mirage of his deceased mentor. Whistler would never have said those things, all of this was wrong and he had had enough.

It wasn't real, none of this was real. He had to get out, _now_. Everyone has forced themselves awake at some point in their lives, and Blade was blessed with the ability to do it with little effort. Being a very hated man among powerful creatures he always had to be on guard.

His throat still ached and caused difficulty but he stumbled back in the blank room that was now flickering. Whistler straightened up eerily, saying nothing. Blade shook his head and forced his body to awaken. With a strong jolt he awoke, his body painfully taunt and his throat still as sore as it was in the dream. As soon as his eyes focused, he realised he was lying in bed, and most disturbingly, there was a heavy weight holding him down.

Seconds later he locked gazes with a pair of shimmering green eyes, and found Loki straddling him.

"The fuck!" Blade blurted out loudly, despite his throat.

Above him Loki looked comically surprised. "Uh oh."

All around their heads was a hazy swirl of dark blue and purple clouds. It looked like a scene out of a science fiction text book, minus the glowing stars. The clouds circled around slowly, but quickly dissipated when Loki's concentration—and Blade's temper—snapped.

Loki yowled as he was grabbed in a demeaning manner by his longer-than-normal hair and yanked off, tossed onto the floor like a filthy rag. He rolled away to put space between them as the man shot up to his feet, slightly off balance and still clawing at his throat. Loki rose as well, and took a moment to fix his hair, cursing in multiple languages.

Blade was almost frantic, but he showed it through his anger. His throat was burning like he swallowed coals but he growled out. "How did you-! Was that _you_?!"

"Your heart is steadier than I judged." Loki admitted reluctantly, keeping a fair distance away.

Blade pulled his face. He couldn't believe he had almost thought that was really Whistler, dream or not. He hadn't known if it was a dream or a delusion, and he hadn't minded as he got to see Whistler, but he was now glad it was only a nightmare. "You think? Whistler would never have said such _shit_."

Loki pulled a smug expression and tipped a finger towards Blade. "Maybe not but they ring true."

"I am getting tired of your bullshit. Are you seriously stalking me? Is that what's happening? I feel like I have a gender-confused bogeyman that won't get out my damn closet." He did love to be sarcastic.

Loki felt as if his silver spoon had turned to bronze. "...You have a way with words. And I am not gender confused!"

Blade coughed, trying not to let the burning of his throat affect his tone. "I don't give a fuck. I should kill you for this."

"Don't be so foolish. I can raise you up from his pitiful existence—"

"That's enough—" Blade snapped and thrust forward, hitting Loki with a fist in the gut. He caught Loki as he doubled over and thrust him against the wall. Before Loki could even see straight Blade twisted his arms back and used them to keep the god pressed into the wall. He leaned over, growling loudly at the fact that the pale man was slightly taller than he, and whispered in his ear. "Any last words?"

Loki panted against the wall, looking from the corner of his eye, full of frustration and curiously, dark amusement. "What makes you think I can die?"

"Everything dies. You're no god, you're just another fucked up demon with an ego the size of New York. And I've wiped out a fair share."

"You seem almost brainwashed— _OW_!"

Blade tightened his grip to one that would snap an ordinary man's arm like a twig in a second—then again, a vampire's too. While he wasn't that thick built it seemed Loki was sturdier than one would expect, Blade regretted to admit he was worried that his man _was_ something out of his norm. "Hold still you little—"

Loki squirmed viciously, hitting backward to shake the man off. He was so tired of being manhandled, and yet he was curious as to exactly how strong Blade was. The Captain was impressive, but still weaker than he and Thor. Blade seemed to be of similar strength, but he was much more aggressive though. "Fucking mortals-!"

From the doorway to their right a figure stepped through almost as if rushing. The two struggling men looked up at the one who made their company a crowd, faces twisted in the heat of the moment. The man in the door way skipped to a halt when he found them, and jumped as if startled, jaw dropping to the floor. "Oh- _HOLY SH_ -ER-! Am I interrupting?"

Unwilling to have a mortal witness the moment Loki took advantage of the situation and struggled, but Blade reacted as quickly as he did. "The fuck— _hold still_!"

Standing gobsmacked in the doorway was Hannibal King. He gaped and pointed rudely with a finger. "Whoa! I have never seen a man prostitute."

Loki's jaw dropped further than King's and he went red. "I am-! I AM NO PROST- _AH_!" At his limit to the embarrassment and Blade's harassment, Loki invoked his Jotun heritage and stung Blade with painful palm full of ice. When the man pulled away out of instinct Loki elbowed him hard in the chest and shoved him a good distance away. He growled when the man kept on his feet.

King could only look between them in shocked, full of forward childish interest. "The fucks going on?"

Blade pointed to the door, never taking his eyes off Loki who sulked against the wall. "Get outta here."

Loki sucked in his lower lip, a menacing look in his eyes and glanced sideways. "Who is this?"

King stared back at him. "Who is that?"

Blade growled impatiently. "No one! A pest that won't squash."

"How dare you?!" Loki gaped.

"Shut the fuck up!"

"You don't command me!"

King widened his eyes in an exaggerated manner and held a hand to his chest. He looked Loki up and down, who was staring at him more and more as if he was a pig with wings. "Blade, buddy, I had no idea."

Blade sighed loudly and looked away. "Please."

"I always figured you as asexual—" King was ready to laugh, but the look Blade gave him killed the attempt. He gave in like a child tired of being caught, Loki could almost see his phantom leg kicking a stone. "...Okay I'll stop."

"Thank you." Blade said, sarcastically.

Loki looked between them, cunningly. "I thought you had no friends."

"I don't."

King then jumped. "Wait, are you his enemy? If you are, just so you know, I'm not really his _friend_. Rather like acquaintances, and stuff."

Blade rolled his eyes heavily and Loki frowned like the time he did when his sceptre failed at ensnaring Stark. This realm had the weirdest of people in copious amounts, it was honestly entertaining.

"Okay fine, I'm his pal, Hannibal King. We hunt vamps together. Sometimes, when he lets me. You know what those are? What am I saying, everyone does. Me and Blade met—"

"Enough-! Would you leave? We were talking." Loki snapped, wondering what the point to this mortal's life was. And cursing his stupid facial hair for reminding him of Thor. And how ironic his name was _King_. _Fuck the universe_.

King thought a bit before answering. "Sure looked like that. Blade?" He looked at Blade seriously, as if conveying a silent message.

Blade received it. "It's okay King, he's no threat."

"My, my, and you talk about _my_ ego." Loki said, sarcastically, turning to glare his pretty green eyes at Blade.

"You look familiar." King suddenly said.

Loki turned back to him quickly. "Do I? Perhaps you recognise me?" He held out his arms, already in his trademark outfit, but without the horns.

"Yeah...yeah! I know-! There's these Playboy magazines—well, not really Playboy but it's similar but it has chicks and dudes in it and they're all like, beach material. You know, they got the wavy long hair, glistening tanned chests, hard abs—I think I saw you in one of those books! Probably in the winter section, you're not very tanned. Okay but it wasn't MY book, but—"

"ENOUGH! What is that?!" Loki pointed dramatically, gaping at Blade like a scorned housewife.

Blade looked away from them both. He swallowed, analyzing the simmering burn in his throat and decided it was possible to ignore. So long as King stayed away from him. "...Something I'm starting to fear you'll turn into. Both of you, get out."

King gaped dramatically in offense and opened his palms. "Hey, I just got here."

"My business here is important." Loki argued.

Blade groaned and jabbed his knuckles into his right temple as a dull ache began. "Do I look like I want either of you here right now?"

King pulled his lips at Blade and looked at Loki to share a quip, but frowned heavily instead. "...No wait I am serious, you're really familiar."

"...I will decapitate you." Loki hissed.

"This is Loki, apparently, some god-bitch or whatnot." Blade informed.

Ignoring the threat King looked around the room as if he'd find the answer floating about. "Loki? Loki...where have I..."

Loki was highly anxious to know if the man knew about him and all the trouble he had caused, while Blade was wondering how many people had known about it besides him if it was so big. Was he really that cut off from the world? Maybe he _did_ need to get out more.

"..."

"..."

Both were disappointed. "...Doesn't ring a bell." King shrugged.

Loki grit his teeth and looked away. "...Can my existence become anymore miserable..."

"Well, buddy, Blade has got _nooo_ sense of humour whatsoever. So if you're depressed, hanging with him will make it worse. But killing vampires might be a good sport to blow off steam. Hey, wanna join us—" A sudden flash of white erupted into the room. Blade almost didn't reach King in time to pull him out the way from Loki's wrath, whatever it was. The door was blown to bits and King was sure his eyebrows were singed off.

"What the fuck!" King screeched, struggling to stand as Blade swung him behind his back as he faced Loki with a glower.

"Now you're getting on my last nerve." He growled.

Loki matched it. "Get that mongrel out of here."

Blade sniffed stubbornly, but doing so unfortunately caused him further problems. He could smell more than was necessary, more than he usually did, including King's alluring human scent, which fuelled his disgusting craving. He blocked it out completely with painful effort. He would not give in to such a thing. "Where is my sword?"

Loki pointed up his nose and smirked. "I hid it. You'll get it back when you speak to me."

"Speak this." With deft precision Blade pulled King's gun from his holster and fired a shot. The bullet hit the wall and Loki was no where to be seen, a twirling tornado of black fog in his place. Blade kept the gun aimed, but when it was clear Loki had vanished and wouldn't be returning King straightened up with a loud sigh of relief and patted Blade's shoulder in thanks.

"Jeez, he was worse than my ex. Who the hell _was_ that?"

"Some asshole trying to get me with me." Blade muttered, lowering the gun.

"..."

"As in evil partnership. He wants an ally."

"Oh. Huh, he has good tastes. I always run to you too."

Blade shoved back the gun to him and raised a brow. "Which is why I'm worried, then I'll have two of you."

"I'm not that bad. Am I?"

"Do you know who that was?"

King gestured to the poor wall sporting a bullet wound. "That psycho? No."

"He was that guy who tried to tear up New York a couple months back."

Acknowledgment slowly dawned on King's face and he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. He had been abroad during that chaos. "...You mean all that alien shit with that went down with that Iron Man and the Hulk?"

"Yeah. I think he escaped his prison, and now he's slinking around here."

"...And he wants to team up with _you_? Wow...just in case you get any ideas...if an alien army can't beat the those superheroes, I wouldn't suggest you teaming with this guy—"

"I'm not teaming with anyone. I made that clear to Fury a long time ago."

King scrunched up his face as Blade stormed by, unaffected by the negative energy the man usually gave off. "...To who?"

"...No one."

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I do love people manhandling Loki. Bless Whedon. And fanfics
> 
> I am aware it would be odd for Blade to _not_ know about the NY attack, but let's pretend he lives way on the other side of NY and he really doesn't bother with the world upstairs. Sleep, train, fight vamps at night, repeat. Hobbies: shining his sword. The silver one.
> 
> I do love King, comic relief characters are a must.
> 
> Mixing comic and movie verse and all shit, go with it or go away. Thank you for sticking by~!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for light Loki-sexiness. And poor Blade deterioration.
> 
> _I apologise for spelling mistakes_

**Chapter 4:**

_Midgard_...such a place of sin and delight...

Loki had never enjoyed Midgard much in his adolescent days of travelling and exploring with Thor and the Warriors Three. Though he loved to learn everything he could it and have fun with his _brother_ , it had become annoying and eventually painful when their trips served only to sate their lascivious desires around the mortal women who offered themselves gladly in the presence of _gods_. Loki stopped tagging along and eventually never left the comfort of the palace. Thor would return and boast tales of battles and glory and beautiful maidens of all colours and tongues but all Loki could return was a waning act.

He had never understood what true pleasure Thor gained from it, it angered him, but tonight in this very modern and mixed time, Loki was in a trance.

The music blared with a beat that was utterly impossible to resist. It was music of the modern era. It was loud and hypnotic and commanding. You _had_ to move. You _had_ to sway. You _had_ to dance. Loki was utterly drunk in the power of the music filling the gigantic room of bodies. It had a primal beat used by many nations when communicating with the _other side_ , invoking magic and power, lust and passion.

His spat with Blade left him unsatisfied and angry, and while he contemplated a killing spree on the roof of a building he caught sight of two females of the kind Blade hunted—vampires. They were hurrying down a quiet road as if unperturbed by the possibility of being attacked. But why would they, if they were not weak and human.

Loki followed along after them and snuck into a secret facility with them that turned out to be a strange place filled with loud angry music, copious amounts of alcohol and naked flesh—and of course blood. It was a vampire rave club. To Loki it was one of the most odd but intriguing things he'd seen on earth. While he still sneered upon vampires for being wild uncouth creatures it was better than humans, and maybe even Jotuns.

He hovered in the shadows for a while, studying and learning the creatures in this state of ecstasy. They ran on instinct, moving against one another as if depraved and deprived had fused together. A few humans sat here and there, barely conscious as they were drained of their life-force or hypnotised into a trance. How curious, creatures that thrived off blood...

Once satisfied, Loki decided to join the soirée and fashioned himself a very appealing outfit. He left his hair flowing to his shoulders above his black clothing. His pants skin tight, a corset-like design covering his chest that hugged him as it would a woman. Half of his back was bare, as was his arms and his neck and collar bones. Black eyeliner adorned his sparkling eyes in the style used by those of old Kemet.

Everyone in room was pale so he fit it naturally, all he had to do was step out into the action.

It was both empowering and demeaning at the same time that he went by unrecognized by these fiends, that he could be himself here, and no one would know or care who he was. There was no threat, no uncovering, and no danger. He was a god among a legion of drunken demons.

He made his way unnoticed through the dancing crowd, everyone grinding around everyone. Their dancing was the simulation of sex, Loki knew he would never see this in the halls of Asgard. His pulse began to race and he started to pant his excitement. So many conscious mind all swaying together, feeling together, _wanting_ together.

Loki moved with them as if he had always been there. The beat was slow and hypnotic, commanding the bodies to sway and grind instead of jerk and bounce. It was a simple enough commandment, and Loki swayed with enough seduction to seduce the holiest men of every religion or every world. It didn't matter who was pressing against him, who leaned into who, who was breathing down his neck and tracing love notes across his curved back. Male or female, big or small, passive or assertive, Loki took it all.

Raging lust surged through him for the first time in a _very_ long time. Too long he had quietly craved the sinful attention, too long he had waited on another, and too long he had been blind and foolish. Tonight, he wanted to feel the dirty need and make an impression, if only for a night. An impression no one turned down...

Hands roamed, tongues lapped, hips rolls, it was orgasmic. It was like a giant orgy without the removal of clothes. If his pants weren't so tight he'd be boasting an impression erection, grinding against the person in front of him as another ground against him from behind.

Cold lips caressed his neck, fingers dug into his thighs—it was addictive. But slowly his physical orders fell on deaf ears and instead he was obeying more and more. The climate changed before he could stop it, before his body allowed him to react, and he was lost in the palm of commanding hands. He was pulled this way and that, squeezed and pulled, kissed and caressed. Their heavy breathing sweetened the music and fuelled his excitement, the adrenaline, and he began to sweat.

But through his trance he allowed his domination. Only through a rather painful nip on his neck did he wake into reality. The reality that he had a heart beat and blood pumping through his very lively body. He smelt of sweat and pheromones and the delicious blood these very creatures craved. He knew he didn't smell or sound human, his scent different and his heart beat that of mighty oxen, but that didn't mean he was less appealing. If anything, he guessed he was much more intoxicating.

Another nip, his time on his shoulder. Oh it was _good_ , sweet thrilling pain...but he couldn't allow it. He wouldn't. He knew what blood did for these beings, he couldn't yet test his own blood to their beings. _Their_ beings…

Not to _these_ men...

Before any of his blood could be drawn to the many hungry mouths he shook them all off, spinning with a wave of energy to jolt them back a few steps more. The creatures looked shocked, mouths agape as they formed a circle around him, staring longingly, and hesitantly.

' _Good,_ ' he thought, and started to grin as the tempo of the beat rose. Dozens of eyes started at him, eyes that were not human. He looked into their eyes, but it was like looking into a void. They were beasts, wild and needing to be tamed.

He wasn't about to reveal what he really was, but he wasn't about allow himself to be attacked and ravished like a virgin in the night. He was still a prince, and he would always see himself a king.

Before the vampires could get too cosy again he closed his eyes and when he reopened them, they were blood red, that of his Jotun side. For an extras show he fashioned himself a set of intimidating fangs and turned for all to see that he was no meal. He slid his tongue out, scraping them along his fangs, lips twitching for emphasis.

It worked, despite the beating of his heart, and the vampires kept at bay, curiosity all over their faces. They were stumped, hungry, and curious all at once. Loki felt a rush off power and snarled as one of them, baring his lengthy fangs and eyeing them with his strange eyes. The masses leaned away at the animalistic threat but growled back in a primal communication that Loki identified as vore-ish lust.

These creatures were so unlike humans, Loki noticed, they were brazen, they were forceful, and they embraced their natures. Humans were too pliable and frightened, begging to be put in place like dogs. The more Loki thought of it the more he realized that ruling humans was too simple, commanding armies of _these_ creatures would be a real feat.

Now in the centre of attention he turned and paced slowly, swaying his hips sensually like a gypsy dancer. The men and women alike watched, stared, greedy for the beauty and mystery before them.

Loki was high on power. It wasn't the exact type he wanted, but it was an exciting quick fix.

The females moaned and called.

The males growled and snorted.

They were like animals. Raw desire and power. Instinct. _Need._..

Loki beckoned them back when he sensed their acknowledgement that he was not human. They didn't know what he was, but they did sense his power, and that was good enough for him.

The dancing began again, but this time they praised him, touching him as a miracle in flesh form and breathing in the air he contaminated as if it were a life-force.

Growling, panting, groping, dancing, smelling, _tasting_...

Loki finally felt like the god he was...

**XxXxXxXxXx**

Not even two days later Loki found himself back to following around Blade.

As strong as his senses were Blade wasn't equipped enough to find Loki if the trickster truly wished not to be found. Loki used his magic and farces to keep him invisible to the man. Blade was indeed a loyal and heroic man. He took his duty seriously and saved little girls from the clutches of monsters. But no one thanked him for it, no one praised him for it...and yet he continued to do it, alone, and unappreciated. He reminded Loki of Rogers.

Loki almost felt pity for him, but the man was stupid too. How could you sacrifice yourself in such a lonely quest? How could anyone be so... kind? Was it kindness? ...Or was it simple bloodlust of a psychotic man? The latter seemed more logical but Loki knew deep down that perhaps...just perhaps...Blade's heart was truly gold.

A heart of gold would be difficult to turn. That Solider, Captain America, who was able to lift Mjölnir and use that kind of power he had within him without his heart turning dark was truly a miracle. Loki hoped Blade's heart wasn't as strong.

It may not be persuaded, but with a little interference it could certainly be tinkered with...

There were a few ideas that juggled in Loki's head but the best would be the closest to Blade's control... his precious serum.

Precious yet vulnerable serum... Strange how those funny little chemical mixtures could change a common man into a monster or a god. Just like power, it could make or break a man. And though Blade's serum worked for him, all Loki had to do was change it...

Doing so wasn't as easy Loki hoped, but once he caught onto Blade's habits and routines he managed to nab a container of the serum and after long hours of trying, he diluted it with a useless replica that smelt and looked the same.

At first Blade didn't notice a change, and neither did Loki. But if you rush like lightening, you crash like thunder... _thunder…_ Loki knew he had issues.

So Loki persevered and little by little he added in his influence and withdrew that of the serum. It was easy to replicate the form of the serum, the only thing that gave it away was its uselessness. It added nothing new, it only unearthed the real thing that Blade was.

A beast. A gorgeous wild beast.

It took only a week before Blade could no longer deny that something was wrong. His strong mental will and emotions of steel kept him from falling weak, but there was no ignoring the salivation that begun when carrying an injured woman from her place of attack. She was caked in her own blood and it was more noticeable than it should be. She smelt like a steaming meal to a starving man, it knocked Blade off his horse and he hurried home to shoot his medicine...but he only got worse.

Every day he grew less focused, and needier in the most disgusting ways. His serum kept him in control and set on the main objective, but now... now his mind was shaky and quickly distracted.

Was this Loki's doing? The man hadn't reappeared and it was suspicious, but Blade couldn't think of a chance where he could have gotten to sabotage him.

It became harder every night to run down the streets and keep hidden while searching for bloodsuckers and realizing just how many humans were around and which smelt the best. It became harder to focus on taking down vampires when they were feasting on a most delicious food that made Blade want to kill them just to take it from them for himself.

It was hard... _so hard_...to look in his reflection and see doubt.

He began to doubt himself.

Missing bulls' eye shots and becoming aroused at the scent of a victim's blood was _not_ like him. But he didn't understand what was wrong. He even doubled his dosage but nothing worked. He was just so damn thirsty.

But Blade was strong. He was strong man, in body, in spirit, and in mind. He refused to give in, he fought it to the very bone and he did it alone…

…That there was his worst flaw. Being alone.

Loki watched in delight from the shadows as the man wore himself down. All Loki had done was taken away his shield, nothing more, and the outcome was as shocking as it was expected. Clearly Blade was a weak man when faced with his own nature, and if you couldn't even handle yourself, it was no wonder that Blade refused to receive help from others.

Again, Loki felt sympathy. He only accepted help when he had a lot to gain, and he was a private man. He would never share his burden of being a Jotun with another when he already disgusted himself enough…he didn't want another looking down at him the way he did himself. That was how it was for Blade. Loki understood it…

But he still exploited it. He understood the selfishness but it was worth a shot, for both he and Blade…

**XxXxXxXx**

The only thing Blade could think of, besides the delicious olfactory memory of blood, was that little annoying shit—Loki.

Everything had been going fine, until he showed up. Blade had given him his life and though he never saw him again, he felt suspicious that his current predicament was linked to that man who claimed himself a god.

Was Loki powerful beyond that of the ordinary villain? If Blade had beaten Frost with a vampire god possessing and fuelling him, surely he could handle this. Blade wasn't sure what his powers were, but he knew it had to do with some sort of magic, but where the ice came from he had no idea. He supposed it was connected to the magic.

The only conclusion he could draw was that Loki was messing with his head, like when he influenced his dream and made him feel like he was incredibly thirsty. Yes, that was all it was, mind games. Blade wasn't afraid, he meditated more than often and doubled his dosage. He could beat whatever tricks that man brought.

But even thought Blade was strong and determined, suffering was to be had. Every night instead of lying down to sleep, he lay down to a battle with himself. As soon as nightmares started to appear he knew Loki was involved. It shook him to his core to know that the man, or his influence, was tampering with him in such a way. It was so close, it was in his _head_. It was too dangerous, but nothing seemed to get him out.

The dreams were horrid to him. Instead of killing vampires he was slow, insanely slow, and unable to catch them

The thirst however...sometimes he doubted if it were really only in his mind. It felt too real, it hurt too much, so much more than it ever had.

For more days and nights he ignored, and persevered, and endured the horrible feelings that bubbled within him but he wasn't invincible, and eventually his body became unwilling to respond to him, and he feared for the world should he leave his confines.

He couldn't control this new development... And for the first time in a very long time, Blade was nervous.

**XxXxXx**

Rapping loudly on the door to Blade's home King let himself in, pouting at the unlocked door. He had his own key in case of emergencies, but Blade never left his shit unlocked.

"Knock knock! Anybody home?" he called, entering cautiously. "Blade?" There was always either a very rude greeting, or a very sassy one that was made so by the prospect of hunting. But today, there was no answer.

"Blaaade..." King kept an eye out for blood and vampire remains out of habit. Where ever Blade went dead vampires followed. The only thing that was out of order was a few discarded clothes lying around, but it was enough to tell him something was wrong. Blade's living conditions were always immaculate.

He hurried into Blade's room where he found the man kneeling on one knee at his bedside, clutching his stomach as if it ached. He wore no amour but his pants, half way through dressing.

The man looked like he was in bad shape, shaking his head as if trying to clear his vision. It definitely frightened King, Blade had always been the man of cool control, the one everyone looked up to and drew strength from. This was fucking creepy.

"Whoa man, what side of the bed of needles did you wake up on?" King rushed to crouch by his side, but Blade held hand out and growled at him, avoiding eye contact. King jerked back, but hovered worriedly.

"Blade?"

"Get out..." Blade rasped under his breath.

"What?" King said. He didn't expect to be answered, and looked over the man for any wounds.

"Get out!" Blade swung out his arm randomly. King jumped away in time to miss the clumsy shot and watched as Blade fell to his palms, breathing heavily. He sounded like an angry bear, King had half a mind to run out and bolt the door. He knew what it was like to lose to the vampire weaknesses, he knew it was not something to be controlled. Not even for Blade.

"Dude there's something wrong with you!"

"I _know_." Blade managed to say. He stared, eyes straining at the floor. Each second King remained in front of him tainted the air further, tempting his growling stomach and watering mouth.

King fisted his fingers in his hair, having no idea what Blade was actually suffering from but guessing anyway. "Whe- what- what can I do?"

"You need to leave..."

King groaned and rushed back besides him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey man, I know we're not best buds but I'm your pal."

Deep down Blade appreciated his concern, but it would do no good. "LEAVE BEFORE I KILL YOU!"

His voice echoed through the empty room and King fell over and scrambled backwards. He stared wide-eyed and voiceless at the rasping man, unsure of what to do. Half of him was afraid Blade had definitely lost it and would very possibly kill him, and the other half of him wanted to reach out and help the distressed hero.

But Blade gave him one look, and King knew he had to leave. He didn't know what brought this on but Blade always suffered alone, and that's how he preferred it.

King took his leave, shaken, but whispered a prayer as he headed out for his friend to cope.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Loki is so mean. And sexy.
> 
> Nuada is back next chapter, AWW YIS.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE HAVE SOME SEX. Smut. Delicious man sex. If Nuada and Loki humping like bunnies frightens you look away. But it shouldn't they're fucking beautiful together dear Ra
> 
> _I apologise for errors_

**Chapter 5:**

Fermenting the large room with heavy warm breaths was a pleasure like no other. As one breathed out the other breathed in. They moved in a perfect synchrony, back and forth, up and down. It was equal, it was paced, and it was savoured.

_Ooh was it savoured._

Straddling the male below him, the fair Asgardian prince threw his head back in ecstasy, his flowing black hair showering over his smooth shoulders. His firm thighs held his weight as he rode in sequence. He held the back of his neck, digging his nails into his own skin in a depraved desire of a little more pain to sprinkle upon the pleasure sparking through his core. Fluidly he raised his slender hips and lovingly brought them down, impaling his willing body on another's.

Sweat trickled down Loki's chest along the fine contours, his cheeks pink and flushed, his green eyes closed. He panted softly, prettily, his mouth open with his head tilted back. He was the most beautiful man Nuada Silverlance had ever seen.

With his hand spayed across those hips that could be wider if fed, Nuada watched, completely fixated on the green-eyed beauty. His own hips rose to meet Loki's despite the other's never tiring movements. Loki was perfection, smooth and flawless, tight and warm, and sang like a lark when feeling verbal. There was nothing that could possibly distract Nuada from their lovemaking; he was under Loki's spell.

Drawing blood Loki moaned loudly, lifting his hips faster, igniting delicious sounds from his partner. It caught his attention and he glanced down at his willing victim through clouded eyes, bringing his bloodied nails to his lips where he suckled away the blood.

Nuada groaned at the sight and his hips stuttered, before he gripped tighter and renewed his thrusts, staring up into those sparkling eyes full of mischief and wickedness.

Loki laughed breathlessly, and leaned over in a fluid motion. He slammed his palms to Nuada's chest and used it as extra leverage to piston his hips, rotating them sinfully. He was struck deeper inside and moaned out involuntarily, in a barely controlled manner that seeped with need and want, enough to provoke Nuada to fulfil his primal desires. Said male didn't disappoint and Loki had to grit his teeth to stop from crying out as his prostate took a beating.

Instead he leaned over further, spreading himself wider and hovered just above Nuada, teasing him with a kiss he wouldn't give.

"Oh my king, you're so very hard." Loki breathed, laughing at his attempt at dirty talking.

Nuada grunted in response, his member twitching within Loki. He smirked up at the little god, and lifted his knees to nudge Loki forward. He reached over to cup Loki's cheeks in his hands and spread them himself, and continued his thrusting in a manner that soon became rough. Loki squeaked embarrassingly and soon after snarled at him.

"And you're oh so very tight, just like a virgin should be."

Loki scoffed and dug his nails into Nuada's chest and began to throw his hips back to match Nuada's force. "Don't flatter yourself, you don't have that pleasure."

"This is _plenty_ pleasure," Nuada said, reached up to lick a trail up Loki's neck.

The contact made Loki's eyes roll back and he slowed down momentarily, clenching himself around Nuada's cock. It had been a very long time for Loki, but he wouldn't tell Nuada that. He was absolutely drinking in the pleasure he had forgotten existed, and childishly used it to make a point to himself about a dear someone on Asgard... Nuada reached his lips and kissed him with all the passion of a young couple, and Loki found he couldn't bare to move. His body trembled and shook and he felt the length buried inside him throb. His own erection strained against his stomach and his anus ached from the well received abuse. His hands shook, his breath wavered and his heart fluttered— _it was so good_.

The Elf had graciously taken the trickster into his well hidden home, gave him a warm bed and food, without asking for anything in return but company. Nuada had turned out to be the perfect ally for his temporary stay and Loki made sure to reward him out of his own.

While he wasn't self conscious during sex Loki hated that he always grew weak in the knees from kissing, but he couldn't control that yet, he was inexperienced. He sensed Nuada's question below him but the more the man sucked on his lips and squeezed his cheeks the less he could function. He moaned huskily instead and made a grinding motion that slapped his erection to Nuada's stomach and shifted slightly so that it hung between them from the angle. Clumsily he moved his hands on either side of Nuada's head and kissed him back, thrusting his tongue into his mouth.

The Elf prince laughed into the kiss in shock, but returned it gladly and caught the hint. He kept his feet planted firmly on the bed and used them to propel his hips, bouncing the other in his lap and sliding his cock in Loki's sick entrance. Neither male in their own thoughts could decide which sound was more divine: the wet _squelch_ of entry or the slapping of Nuada's thighs against Loki's backside.

Nuada twisted and turned his head as they kissed, never wanting to bore the young beauty. One hand wandered up from its post and caught onto Loki's neck. He squeezed it, pouring his heart into it.

Loki pulled away for air and let out a long drawn out moan, clenching his eyes as the firm member disappeared between his cheeks without a pause. His heart landed in his mouth, his cock leaking handfuls over the other prince.

A look of pain and passion warped on the Elf's face and he wiped a thumb across Loki's cheek, tilting his head to look at his lowered face. "So-so...you are so beautiful." He spluttered.

"Hnng..." Loki replied, concentrating on their vigorous sex. His hair stood on end at the compliment but he pushed it away. "Fuck me harder."

"As you wish," Nuada replied immediately, but instead of doing so he rolled them over with a grunt of effort and trapped Loki beneath him. The man gasped, flustered and almost exhausted, and looked up at him in a way that lit up his heart.

But it was short lived, and Loki's face went blank before he bit his lip and fluttered his eye lashes seductively. His legs were already strapped around Nuada's waist from the previous position. Nuada tightened them and leaned over, sandwiching Loki's member between their hard stomachs. Loki mewled in appreciation, but it wasn't the same as that sweet look from before.

Regardless, Nuada knew they were no more than bed pals and went back to work, fucking the panting male with all the power his ancient self had. His cock burned from the heat radiating within the younger, his hole clasped so firmly that it pulled back his skin with every thrust. Pre seminal fluid from Loki smeared both their stomachs as Nuada's seeped out of Loki around his penis, proof of their hours of long copulation. They were both magical and powerful beings, sex lasted for hours before exhaustion took them down.

Loki held onto Nuada's muscled arms and strained his neck to watch the point of their union, seeing glimpses between their stomachs and his arousal. He reached down and lifted his balls just so to see more of the action, and the sight made him involuntarily tighten, punishing them both in sweet ecstasy. Just the sight and acknowledgment that the other man was buried inside him, fucking him roughly like a beast made his toes curl.

His finality approached and he tightened every grip. " _More_."

"Of course..."

" _Mooore_..."

"Precious prince..." Nuada kissed him, burying himself until their hips met in holy matrimony. Their climax overflowed between them and they verbalised their pleasure. Loki dug his heels and nails into Nuada with an angry moan as the elf emptied his seed within him, waiting a brief moment before they relaxed, going limp against each other. Nuada was kind enough to collapse besides Loki after weakly untangled his limbs, panting together in the sex fermented bed.

Together they lay until they were silent once more. The blankets were a tangled mess and both men were sticky with drying fluid. Loki soon felt Nuada's seed seep out of him, and abruptly sat up. Nuada lifted his head, but said nothing as Loki got up, much slower and stiffer than usual, and walked off.

The Elven prince sighed and reached an arm out to feel the warmth Loki left behind on the bed. Loki never cuddled after sex, no matter how much Nuada thought they had connected. He didn't _need_ cuddles, but he did wish to show the boy affection and hold him like he needed to be held, especially after sex. But Loki was stubborn and adamant, saying he didn't need such petty affections. He was wrong, but Nuada didn't push it.

As the younger prince threw on his robes Nuada watched him with an air of patience, shaking his head at the obvious pain when bending over. "Come back to bed." He said as persuasively as possible, smiling handsomely.

But his hearty affections were politely ignored and Loki kept his back turned, neither frowning nor smiling, but deep in thought. Nuada sighed silently and sat up, the covers pooling around his petite waist. He lifted a knee behind the material and rested an elbow on it as he watched the pretty male. "Your heart is troubled tonight more so than usual."

Loki pulled his lips and turned to face the man, silently admiring his beautiful sharp features. "It is always troubled. What about yours? It's as easy as always, as is your mind, Nuada."

Nuada place a palm over his heart. "My heart is heavy, as is yours despite the different reasons for them being so."

"Hmm..." Loki turned away, uninterested in speaking about such things.

Nuada allowed him a few moments of silence, watching him drift around the room as if occupied, but Nuada knew that Loki was simply avoiding the awkwardness of lying on bed with him after their passion. It was only awkward for Loki though; Nuada could spend hours studying the other if he did nothing but lay besides him.

"The humans search for you." he said. He hoped for a reply, and Loki's desire to have the last word favoured him.

"They won't find me."

"You made enemies stronger than I did, they'll have ways." Nuada knew all of who searched for Loki. It wasn't likely they'd find him here, but Nuada still grew concerned whenever Loki left his home to wander. He couldn't stop Loki either, it wasn't his place, but he made sure to keep reminding him so he couldn't turn around and say he hadn't been warned.

Loki scoffed loudly and kicked aside his boots as his pretend-idle wandering became impatient pacing. "Half of them can't even be considered human, a bunch of freaks."

Nuada was amused by Loki's fiery hatred and smiled. "You need to learn to be calm, your hissing and sneering will make you age." Such a beautiful face shouldn't have flaws, Nuada thought.

Loki didn't reply this time, and halted with his arms folded, staring off into space. A light layer of sweat coated his pale skin, drying slowly now that he was still. His damp hair had been pushed back and now sat moulded as Loki liked it, the way he had it during his little war. Personally Nuada liked it wavy and lively, it made the foreign prince look healthy, and not gaunt and ill.

A change of subject was needed so Nuada smiled again and rolled over towards Loki, the covers wrapping around him gracefully. His skin was like porcelain, and lined with lines native to his people and his many battles. Apparently Loki was similar. "You have yet to share with me that true form you boast."

Loki tilted his head at him, glaring lightly in annoyance. He gestured to his body. "Have I not shared enough?"

"Ah, but you should know a prince never has enough." Nuada teased.

Loki scoffed lightly. "True..."

Nuada chuckled and sat up again, pressing his palms together like a prayer. "Come now, my prince, indulge a fellow prince. Fear not, beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

Loki scoffed again, but smiled anyway, flattered by the man's constant compliments. "I am no maiden to fear how others perceive my beauty, I know the extent of my appeal."

"And yet you cannot seduce that dark male." Nuada said, immediately opening a can of worms. He simply couldn't help himself, Loki fussed over his past and present misfortunes like a scorned woman. Nuada couldn't help poking at the flames, but he also felt Loki was hurting himself more than he should.

"I am not trying to seduce him! I am offering a partnership and power. I am _persuading_ him." Loki said, with a flare of attitude and spread of his fingers through the air.

Nuada sighed and leaned back on his palms. "Maybe he doesn't believe in what you have to offer. You did suffer a terrible defeat."

"He knows only the headlines about my invasion. He doesn't care enough to find out more. That's his problem, he is apathetic. Honestly you would get as much reaction out of him as one would screaming at a deaf man that sleeps!"

If only he could massage away those tense shoulders and kiss away his frowns, Nuada thought to himself. The younger male was so intelligent and beautiful he could have whatever he wanted...within reason. Nuada shook his head with a scold. "Sneering Loki, you will ruin your face."

"Oh shut up." Loki flicked a dismissing hand at him. "Where is _your_ thirst for vengeance, I thought we had that in common."

"I fought for my people against the humans, all my people of every kind, but they do not need fighting for…We may not be as high as we once were but to wage war would be ultimately a dead end. The humans have out grown us, their weapons are far superior in strength and number, and my people on Earth are content as they are. It is I that held onto hatred. I accepted my defeat for my sister's sake, and I live away from all that which plagues me. But you don't seem to share the same emotion for your brother… Perhaps instead of fighting a force you cannot beat, rather live and let live?"

Not until he had one more try, Loki was determined so. "What, like a coward? Give in to them? No. And you know nothing of what my so called 'family' did to me. I was stolen to be betrothed to my brother, to unite the kingdoms and end wars _they_ started. I was no more than an object, a symbol, a _pawn_. Why do you think Thor wants me so badly? He never cared about me before, he favoured his friends and whores above me and now that he knows the truth of why I was taken he so suddenly and heroically wants me home? To use as _his_ _father_ intended? I am a prince. I will not be used like a slave! And they will know that!"

There was so much deep rooted sadness in Loki that Nuada frowned with him. He willed away the creases and darkness around Loki's eyes and said gently, "...I understand. Your pain is still young. Mine has aged and begun to ebb away into a sour memory. Perhaps one day you'll see it my way, and join me in peace."

"I do not want peace!" Loki screeched.

The human term 'spoilt brat' came to the forefront of Nuada's mind. "Obviously."

"...Are you looking for a fight? Our business here is merely sport—"

"Calm down, Loki." Nuada laughed, gently. He rose from the bed, placing his feet silently on the floor, the covers sliding off to pool around them. He was as lean as Loki was, perhaps a head shorter. Where his hair was as pale as his skin, Loki's was a dark contrast.

Slowly, as if showing no harm, Nuada approached Loki, who looked at him like he was a foe more than a lover, not even an ally. It hurt Nuada to see him do so, but he knew it wouldn't last forever.

"I am not your enemy. But I see inside you and I wish you would free yourself from this grudge. The thunder god is far away, those sky foreigners you sought an army from are eradicated and your whereabouts unknown to their master. I know of many places the humans cannot intrude. If you wish we can go there together, be free. You will always be a king and I'll give you a kingdom if that will appease you. No humans, no other gods, no kings but us. I have not returned because I have not the will, I would be alone. But if you joined me, we could create a new land. Peacefully." Nuada added, taking Loki's hands in his. "There is no harm in a happy kingdom, in fact it's prosperous."

With his green eyes dampened by overall grief, Loki watched their fingers link with a sort of expression Nuada found cute. "...I never wanted to rule to destroy. I can be just as well...if only..."

"If only your father would acknowledge that?" Nuada finished, leaning over to trying look into Loki's eyes. Said male looked up reluctantly at his fellow in exile, seeing not him, but those he couldn't forget no matter how much he loved or hated.

"...Yes. And he is not _my_ father. My true father abandoned me to the elements as an infant. He was a monster."

"You should be grateful you were found then, despite the circumstance." Nuada said lightly, hoping to brighten the atmosphere. He squeezed Loki's hands for a smile, a scoff, a retort— _anything_! But Loki drifted off, staring into the walls, sorrow lightly dusting his features.

"...I wonder sometimes, if I had survived and stayed in Jotunheim, would I have been acknowledged as a prince if I was so useless that I was tossed away? Would it have been a worse fate than this?"

Nuada rolled his eyes light when Loki wouldn't see it, but smiled brightly when he could. "If I slay your brother and made you queen of my kingdom would you be happy?"

"...Maybe...but why must I be _queen_? That's exactly what Thor would have—!"

"I was jesting!" Nuada cried as Loki pulled away. He held onto Loki's arm as he tried to pull away. "You'd think after our round you'd be relaxed, good grief."

Loki fumed, but stopped resisting and allowed Nuada to draw him back into his arms. "...Maybe I haven't had enough."

"Spoken like a true prince. But you've spoilt my mood." Nuada laughed, and abruptly released him in favour of heading back towards the large bed.

Loki gaped. Scandalised with new lit lust he hissed and marched forward, grabbing onto Nuada's arm with a rough grip and spun him around. A flash of bleach blond hair separated their vision, and when they locked gazes, Nuada was stuck between being shocked and mesmerized.

Loki was blue. The most beautiful royal shade of blue Nuada had ever seen. His sister was famous for looking beautiful in blue, but Loki took it to another level. Besides the clenched expression Loki was stunning, his eyes as red as blood, his pupils black and wide. Along his face going down his neck and shoulders were indeed long lines that were a few shades darker than his skin, marking him like the Aztec ruins. Nuada felt a flush of familiarity, and then a heavy burst of lust as Loki roughly pulled him to his chest, leering down at him dangerously.

"You wanted to see my true form? _There_ , now you have. But don't think this is for free, _E_ _lf prince_ , I demand some sacrifice as my barbaric race dictates."

Nuada made a noise in the back of his throat and tiled his face up to expose his neck. "...I'll gladly lay myself down for you."

Power and supremacy flooded Loki and he held back a large grin. He attacked the neck bared to him, and for once the skin was truly paler than his. Nuada's scent filled his nostrils once more and perhaps even to a degree higher this time. His Jotun form held all kinds of secrets, including higher senses and more strength, secrets he was too ashamed of to discover.

But it was his own sharpness that revealed to him that Nuada was excited by his dominance, and for once he felt completely qualified to be so. In a strange way he trusted Nuada, he was a fellow criminal exiled for doing what he saw was right, against his family, and the humans no less. He was smart, passionate and a beautiful warrior—Loki liked the man a lot.

Growling against his throat like a beast, Loki smirked into his skin as he slid his palms down Nuada's back, revelling in the very happy moan given to him. He bit down on his skin, spurred by his Jotun instincts and begin another round of unworldly passion.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N If that doesn't make you want to ship them even for the smut we can't be friends. No I'm kidding, asdfghjkl each to their own.
> 
> Also it's Blade's turn next chapter, almost there


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right shit goes down here. Loki enacts the final part of his plan, without the help of the Tesseract. Take that sceptre! HAH *Tenth Doctor expression*
> 
> _Also if the thought of Loki smexing Blade, and it being sliiiiight dub con, makes you uncomfortable_ , simply LOOK AWAY. I can't stress that enough.
> 
> So, blood, sex and slash. Enjoy
> 
> I do not own the characters. Please excuse whatever errors you find. Thank you for reading.

**Chapter 6:**

Another night went by, and through a whirling vision and distracted mind Blade forced himself into the outside world. It was a poor decision, of course, but he wasn't getting any better inside. No matter what he did, nothing helped. Out of sheer desperation he ended up chewing on his own wrists to drink from them, but did absolutely nothing to sate him. He hadn't expected it to, but perhaps he could have fooled himself. But he didn't.

He needed fresh human blood.

Yes, finally he admitted it, but only when he couldn't even pretend to function properly anymore. He was craving blood like never before and abstaining was driving him insane. He was sure his stomach was eating him from the inside out and his mind kept chanting dangerous things. Or maybe it was Loki that was chanting, he could no longer tell the difference.

Every night he killed someone new—in his dreams, of course. Every night he stalked a helpless victim, chasing them into a corner where he tore them apart, bathing in their blood and screaming his bloodlust to the moon. He could taste the blood, its copper sweet taste, as if it had been real, but he woke up sweating and grovelling on the floor, having bit open his lips or tongue in his nightmares.

His body wanted to do some very bad things, his mind encouraged it, but his heart rejected it.

But one night he left his home for reasons he couldn't understand, and justified them vaguely by telling himself he was going to take his frustration out on the vampires. Surely their numbers rose in his absence. How many people had died and he couldn't save them? How many people had suffered while he was incapable of concrete thought? How many vampires had their fun? He _had_ to go take some vengeance.

Little did Blade know that his urges had taken his heart captive and spoke through it to drag him out into the world, endangering not only vampires, but humans as well.

Blinded, Blade trudged through the alleys. His cape was missing, as well as his guns and sword. Clearly he was not in his right mind, but he pushed himself along the walls, scanning the area with small bloodshot eyes. On the surface of his mind he searched for the creatures of the night, but what he was sniffing out was so much different. But he didn't realise what he was doing: Blade was overcome by thirst.

The robot trudged on, unafraid of possible threats and fuelled by empty thoughts and a starving belly.

But soon it became dangerous for his own safety and he wandered closer and closer to the public. His subconscious told him where there was music and noise humans were sure to be, so he followed whatever his sharp ears picked up.

Just one small road away from the main road, a weak gasp caught his attention and he snapped his neck towards it. A small movement accompanied it against the wall, and when he focused properly, he saw a woman.

Breathing harshly against the brick wall that was tainted with droplets of blood, the dark skinned woman cried weakly. From her mouth and neck she bled profusely, coughing and trembling. The less blood you had the colder you felt, Blade knew why she was shivering, her blood was everywhere _but_ insider her.

Her curly hair hung around her face, matted and sticky, and though Blade didn't realise it at the time (all he could register was a bleeding human), the woman resembled his mother. But she was much younger, her full lips trembling as she reached out to him.

"H-help me..." she begged, looking at him as if he was her life line. Blade approached her with calculated steps, watching her as though if he moved suddenly she could disappear, " _P-p-please_...?"

Blade knelt beside her, and reached out. She struggled, clinging to him as soon as she could get a grip. She was indeed cold, whereas his body was blazing, and he pulled her from the brick of the alley and against his chest, cradling her like a child. " _Help-_!"

Her voice was barely a whisper but Blade could hear it, but he wasn't listening to her words. His ears were locked onto her poor heart that still beat, struggling along with her. Her feeble fingers latched onto his dirty shirt and she didn't let go despite her weak body.

_Lub dub, lub dub..._

_Flowing life force..._

_Beating heart..._

_Soft flesh..._

Blade's inside clenched in a strong jolt and he growled. The woman cried out in shock but didn't try to move away, she was much too wounded. Very wounded.

There was blood everywhere, and like a drunk that had fallen into a barrel of whiskey, it was impossible to say no. Thirst had him by the neck just like vampire, and finally he gave in.

Nonchalantly Blade turned the woman's face to see her neck, ignoring her confused babbles. He could _see_ her pulse beating at her neck, and that was the last straw. With no warning he jerked her up and sank his teeth into her neck, growling loudly at the first taste of his meal. Conveniently she already had an open would so he didn't have to break much skin to surface more blood, and when properly latched he began to suck.

Already weak the woman did nothing but cry out and hold onto him, digging her fingers into his arms as the pain flared. She made no other movements, staring up at the navy blue sky as the man shook her every few seconds, demanding more and more of her blood.

But something was wrong. No, something was _new_. Something was _good_ , and in his state there was absolutely no chance of him noticing or stopping. He was finally sating his powerful thirst, his powerful curse. Blood entered his mouth and stained his teeth, covering his tongue in the exotic sweetness, a sweetness Blade's body could barely comprehend. It was so much more than anticipated.

And that's because it was. It was more than exotic.

It was _godly_.

Slowly the bloody body being ravage changed, its skin paling and its body flattening considerably. Staring up at the moon and the twinkling stars the Trickster winced softly. This had been the first time he had been fed on by such a creature, it was honestly a scary experience. Yes he had power and magic on his side but Blade was in the most feral state of mind, no amount of reasoning or magic could stop him if he suddenly plunged his fist through his chest to grab his heart and feast on it. Loki hoped for the best and complied as much as possible, moaning as the beast sucked and licked at his neck like a child to a treat.

Though the blood splattered around was a mirage and Loki had plenty of his own to spare, Blade wasn't letting up. He didn't realise that the woman he was draining had shape shifted into that of a man, why would he? The taste remained the same. He managed to mask his scent enough so that Blade wouldn't realise it was him. It worked, but Blade had never tasted such divine blood before and Loki realised he would have to intervene if he wished to live.

Instead of using force, which was undoubtedly stupid, Loki mumbled an incantation under his breath until Blade grew heavy, and eventually collapsed besides him. They both hit the ground and Loki coughed, tasting his own blood. His fake wounds didn't damage him but the loss of blood would need some healing, as well as his neck

The beast next to him breathed heavily, flood dripping mouth his mouth, but he wouldn't awake, not now. Loki had a strong hold over him and lay praising himself at his cleverness of spoiling Blade's serum.

The air tonight was cold, but Blade had been so warm, Loki instinctively wished to touch him and steal his warmth. His turned his head and looked at the unconscious man, and admired his work. Curiously Loki reached out and trailed his fingers over his prodigies face, studying his strong facial structure. He had such strong cheek bones, Loki thought, Thor's weren't as pronounced. Or maybe they were, under all the annoying hair.

They couldn't lie out in the alley all night, Blade needed to be locked away for a while when he awoke. Loki didn't know exactly what to expect but with the amount of his old and powerful blood being absorbed by Blade he had to play it safe. As soon as he could stand again Loki made quick work of summoning both he had Blade away and into Blade's secret fortress...

**XxXxXxXxXxXx**

Wringing out a cloth, Loki dabbed it gently over the black man's face, wiping away the sweat and massaging away the frowns. It had been a whole day since Blade consumed his life essence and the man had yet to wake up. Loki knew it wasn't his incantation for that could only last about five hours—he feared he had poisoned Blade.

His conscience told him it wasn't mere Asgardian blood Blade had consumed but Jotun blood, the blood of his true people. What if it was too strong, indigestible? Loki hadn't tested that theory, but he couldn't (and _wouldn't_ ) give a random vampire the honour of feasting on his blood and his energy. So all he could do was hope for the best.

Through the hours he paced up and down, making sure they were locked in, and that he was healing. He didn't know what to expect but he wouldn't take chances of losing what he just created. It had taken a good long two weeks, he couldn't lose it.

Soon enough his creation began to stir and Loki hurried to his side, both excited and anxious. On his bed lay Blade, turning his head stiffly as he blinked his eyes, looking, but not seeing. When he finally turned the right way Loki placed a gentle palm on his cheek and coaxed his face towards him, petting him. The man made an incoherent noise and opened his eyes wider.

Loki froze in shock, but a very satisfied grin spread across his face. Blade's brown eyes were a deep ruby red, and his pupils were small and black, making it look even more beautiful. Most of the vampires Loki had come across while waiting on Blade's fall had red eyes, but these were almost burgundy. Perhaps it was his alien blood that influenced them so, he wasn't sure.

Bubbling with excitement Loki leaned over Blade from the side, whispering to coax him awake. "Shh...there, there, you're okay..."

"...Wha..."

"It's okay." Loki assured, holding the half-vampire's face. He leaned over, and very gently, placed a kiss on Blade's forehead, like a mother would to her child. Blade blinked repeatedly, made an odd sound at the back of his throat as he tried to speak.

"Loki..." Loki jumped when his name was whispered, and looked into the murky eyes. Blade acknowledged his presence.

It was difficult not to show fear or apprehension, Loki forced himself to relax and continued to pet the man, his hands wandering down his neck and chest. "I'm here, pet..."

Disorientated, and barely conscious, Blade groaned, swallowing dryly. "I don't...I feel..."

"You're reborn, Blade. My blood, the blood of a god, has given you all the power you could ever need." Loki whispered to him, studying the body that certainly radiated new power.

"What did you do to me..." Blade rasped, turning his face away.

"I gave you life..." Loki said, in a matter of fact sort of way. He watched, debating, then swung over a leg and straddled Blade. There was no blanket but their clothes separating them seeing as how hot Blade had been through the hours. He was still hot, his skin burning like a deadly fever. "...Family..." he continued, massaging the hard pectorals.

Blade did not feel right. His whole body tingled but he felt as heavy as a ton of bricks. Loki's added weight didn't help the problem, neither did it help his mind. From the angle he was and through his murky eyes Loki almost looked...beautiful...strangely...beautiful...

Loki ran his hands a little faster now confident that Blade was somewhat sober, "I can feel the power surging within you..." Loki forward, staring at the man's aura intently. It was wild with sparkles of green and a whitish yellow around a dark cloak. Proud, Loki cupped Blade's face and smiled, "It worked."

But Blade had slipped away again and couldn't hear him. Drowning in Loki's scent Blade's first instinct was to bite, and weakly moved to nip that the white flesh. He wasn't near fast enough to worry Loki, and was held still.

"No no, no more. Let me recover first..." Loki whispered into his ear. Blade didn't reply, and Loki remained by his ear, frowning lightly to himself. A few thoughts flashed through his mischievous mind and Loki made himself curious. He looked at the dark skin curiously before pressing his lips to Blade's cheek bone, hovering it there until he got the courage to taste.

His tongue poked out and he lapped a kittenish lick, and looked up for a reaction. There was none besides a low groan.

Loki's heart skipped a beat and he climbed off, lying down next to Blade in the crook of his left arm. He turned his chin up to rest on Blade's chest and threw an arm around it. The position allowed him to look into Blade's eyes, and he used it to lull the man back to sleep with a spell. "Let's sleep some more, and when we awaken we can go out and test your power..."

Blade couldn't refuse, his mind was already asleep, and Loki's spell put his body to rest as well.

This time Blade slept for three hours the most. Loki had drifted off as well, as happy as a free lark and cuddled into the warmth of Blade's large arms. As he fell asleep he thought about the times Thor had lay down with him, holding him close and keeping him warm. He missed those days...he missed them.

But his peaceful and dreamless sleep was rudely interrupted when he was shoved away. He woke with a start and just managed to stop himself from falling off the bed. His hair was tangled in his vision and he wiped it away, tensing up. He had already been slightly paranoid of losing control over Blade and looked up reluctantly and expecting to see the man about to charge at him.

But Blade wasn't aiming a weapon at him, he wasn't about to jump over the bed and slam him through a few walls. The man was wandering to the opposite wall, his shirt ripped off and falling in tatters from his right hand.

Afraid still, Loki held his breath and shifted just so he wasn't sliding off his side of the bed. He withdrew his limbs subconsciously and sat, hoping not to be noticed yet.

Facing the wall, his back to Loki, Blade's eyes were a much richer red than the last time they were open. He could see everything, he could feel everything, everything was his to have... but his sober mind.

Running on nothing but his instincts, Blade balled his fists and looked down, lifting them and clenching his arms. His muscles bulged beneath his skin, veins lining and connecting. He rolled his shoulders and turned his neck, cracking away the stiffness and stretching out the flesh. The very, _very_ , powerful flesh.

With no warning Blade lashed out his right fist and it connected with the wall like a canon ball. Concrete and paint exploded out like a bomb, leaving Blade's fist full of a powdery substance and a large hole in the wall.

Loki gaped at Blade, then jumped when Blade swung his other fist and made another hole. And another. And another, and another and more, frantically and obsessively until his knuckles bled. The wild man threw his head back and roared, his muscles clenching and covered in dust.

The wall was a mess and so was the floor. Rumble and pieces of paint laid around floor a few metres from the bed. In the midst stood Blade, panting, growling and exploring his body.

Loki didn't know if he was afraid or impressed. The wall was destroyed and its remains sprawled around. Blade's shoulders were up high, his arms bulging and a low rumble emanating from his chest.

The little god couldn't help but drift forward to the man he created. Silently he slipped off the bed, standing hesitantly without looking away from the dark brawn. He took his time, baby-stepping over, making some noise so that Blade wouldn't be startled. He kicked aside the rumble and placed a careful hand on Blade's right shoulder.

Loki jumped when Blade snapped his head to the offending hand, but nothing more was done. Loki exhaled heavily, and placed his other hand on the corresponding mound, and gently caressed the hard flesh.

"I can sense the power..." Loki murmured to himself, staring to look deeper, into the aura as well. "You're...so unlike the creatures from my world..."

Suddenly Blade turned around and Loki pulled his hands back, but Blade grabbed onto both his wrists and kept him close. Loki squeaked softly when he saw the colour Blade's eyes were. "More." Blade said, low but demanding.

Loki fought to keep his cool and pressed his hands on Blade's still burning chest. "...No, not yet."

"More." Blade demanded, stepping forward.

"No." Loki said loudly, and flashed a sting of ice from his hands to Blade's chest. Because of how cold his hands were and how hot Blade's chest was Blade jerked back from shock, grunting angrily. Loki pulled his hands free as quickly as possible and retreated a few steps. "Learn control and balance. A good leader must know himself better than anything."

Blade looked as if he couldn't understand what he was saying, and picked a hand to his head. "...Out control." He managed to say, shaking his head.

Loki leaned to the right to look at him curiously, "What else would you expect? You've absorbed the life blood of a god, I can feel your body tingling, thriving, begging..."

"Beg..."

"...Blade?"

Loki waited with bated breath for the man to either make some sense or go back to hitting the walls. Instead of either, Blade's eyes locked on his, and Loki felt a shiver crawl up his spine like a grotesque spider. On the corner of his eyes he could see Blade's jaw clench, but he was too scared to make the first move—and paid for it.

Much like the time the Hulk had thrown him around Loki found himself completely at another's mercy. The sheer force in Blade's movement could've sent him through a wall. A thick hand wrapped over his arm and yanked him towards the bed. He stumbled two steps if he was lucky and was thrown the rest of the way. He landed and rolled, again just managing to stop himself from falling off the other side. But he shouldn't have stopped himself.

There was no time to speak or even breathe and Blade was above him, looking down at him with cold eyes.

"B-Blade?" Loki asked, his arms and legs sprawled out at odd angles.

Blade grunted in response, and then with one swift movement ripped off Loki's shirt. The fabric tore away like paper and Loki screeched. He jerked and tried to roll away but Blade pulled him back by his shoulder and smacked him into the bed. He covered Loki's mouth with one hand and used it to hold him down, turning him into a pathetic squirming mess. Green eyes were wide, and fear finally joined the party.

Loki struggling, trying to pry off the big hand and regain some from of control but he had already lost.

" _More..._ " Blade rasped into his ear before lifting him and biting into Loki's pale neck. This time Loki screamed and fought, there was no farce to hold and Blade was already where he needed to be. With a shocking revelation, Loki realised Blade sounded just like he had when he commanded Nuada during sex for 'more', cold and unfeeling. He feared for his life, and what Blade would become should he have anymore of his blood. He fought as violently as he could but Blade twisted his arm behind his back inflicting crippling pain into the god. Loki cried and went stiff in Blade's arms, whining loud as the man fed roughly on him.

Blood trickled down his neck and onto his chest but he had no will to wipe it away, he had no strength to either. Once more he was being manhandled like a toy, but this time he had brought it directly upon himself. Yes, he knew the risks and he had chosen the path, it was his doing and he would see it through. After all, it was better to play along and live a little longer than fight and die instantly.

But the ravaging didn't stop at his neck, and once Blade's belly was full (to Loki immense relief), he directed his attentions elsewhere, nipping along Loki's softer flesh. Soon the touches grew more direct and purposeful and Loki whined in the back of his throat when he lost his pants. He sucked in air through his nose to at least try to calm himself and almost choked on the smell of his blood and Blade's husky scent. Once more he was flattened into the bedding and could only stare at the blank ceiling as he was pulled down the bed, wrinkling the blankets.

Just like Thor's, Blade's hands were rough. Nuada's were hard but smooth, and all of a sudden Loki wished it were Nuada's prying his legs apart and hooking beneath his knees. He wished it was Nuada littering his chest with bites. He wished it was Nuada pressing up against him like a second skin. But most of all he wished it was Thor about to take him.

He grit his teeth at the weak thought and cursed his stupid _brother_. It made him more determined to do what he wanted, and he pressed his lips together as he began to prepare himself for what was coming next. It wasn't a big shock, he found out that vampires were sexual creatures and often aroused by blood. With all the raw energy writhing inside of Blade it had to come out some way, especially since busting open the walls and his knuckles weren't as appealing in comparison to sex. Honestly Loki hadn't thought this would come up seeing as how _asexual_ the man truly was, but he was still a warm blooded man. Loki had hoped for a little more respect as he was held down but at least he was on a bed and not on the rumble.

To make it easier he went along with it, knowing plenty about the joys of sex. He wrapped his arms around Blade's neck once the man took the permanent position and kissed nervously along his throat, as if Loki was the mortal trying to please the horny god. For the first time since he was wrapped in Thor's arms against his bare chest Loki blushed heavily. Even though Blade was barely conscious mentally Loki felt shy and exposed. With Nuada, Loki had bared it all with but a grin, but here he was panting and red-faced. Maybe it was because of the other's approaching, not taking no for an answer—and not to mention he was currently a mindless beast fuelled by primal urges. There was no negotiating or slipping away. An incantation _might_ work, depending if Blade had risen above its influence...but Loki didn't bother to try. He was perversely intrigued. He _wanted_ to be held down by his beast and fucked within an inch of his life.

It soon became a very long night for the god of mischief and half way through he lost his voice. He had multiple bruises forming along his thighs and hips and he didn't dare try to sit on his backside. Hours later he was drenched in both his and his creation's sweat, pink droplets forming as it mixed with the wandering blood and semen. His lips were swollen from being bitten and sucked on and his thighs ached from all the stretching.

Never did the large male seem to tire or grow bored, like a child exploring a new toy. A pretty fun toy that wouldn't wear out so easily. No words were spoken, but from the look in the other's eyes Loki knew there would be none yet. The bed itself was wet and sticky with fluids of all kind and Loki felt as if he'd suffocate from the thick smell. The room would smell of it for days, Loki feared it would spur the man on and on until Loki was completely drained and possibly dead. To be drank and fucked to death; Loki couldn't think of a more humiliating way for himself to die and be found. He could only imagine the Avengers' faces if they found him.

At one very indecisive point Loki shook away his shyness and participated passionately, climbing into the other's lap and riding him. He imagined it was Thor, for he had never gotten the chance before all the drama started, and it was almost believable. Blade was large and ripped, his shoulders and arms thick and sure. But there were no long blond strands to lock his fingers in and no gentle voice whispering endearments. It was straight forward primitive fucking. Blade sawed into him as if trying to procreate, and with Loki's Jotun heritage he embarrassingly feared such a possibility, in fact—he should have given it more thought before spreading it for Nuada.

But the hours and passion finally ended and Loki was allowed to collapse face forward into the bedding and not get up or raise a leg. His eyes were already closed when he felt Blade drop down behind him. He turned his face to the side for air, away from the other, and gasped in the hot fermented air. Idly he decided that should Blade suddenly attack and kill him maybe he'd just accept it, he was so worn out. But he was also glad at their pairing, it would form a stronger bond and with the energy that was used up Blade might be more sober when he awoke again...

**XxxXxXxXxXx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes that just happened. *Russell Peters voice* Take it, and go.
> 
> How better to brainwash Blade than by intoxicating him on alien blood? But good luck to Loki trying to tame a bull.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter than the others, Thor Nuada Blade and a humiliated Loki in one room, GOOD TIMES
> 
> I don't own the characters. If I did, it'd be an X rated orgy show.
> 
> _I apologise for errors_

**Chapter 7:**

Was it days? Was it weeks? Or was it only hours?

There was no way to tell the time in the little messy room. When Loki awoke, more vivid than the last dozen times he attempted to rouse, he moaned loudly as the numerous aches and pains thrown across his body jumped to greet him. As well as a warm mouth on his back. He stiffened and glanced stiffly over his shoulder, and found Blade mouthing at his back as a cat would her kitten. Loki's heart fluttered in relief and he lay his head back down. But now that he was awake his creation growled to him, asking for attention.

Loki reluctantly answered by looking back up, seeing that Blade was practically lying on top of him. Both men were as naked as the day they were born, Blade's heavy manhood pressing against the back of Loki's thighs. He blushed again, but thanked his lucky stars that Blade wasn't himself to notice it. Loki thought back to when he had agent Barton under his control. He had been the one giving orders, being aggressive, claiming what he wanted. He wondered if the little bird had told his fellow Avengers of their eventual rendezvous. It was amazing how the influence of the Tesseract when channelled right could change a person's mind. There was so much plans and desires in Barton's mind to destroy him, and yet he was naked on a second's command whenever Loki smirked a certain way at him. It had been most pleasing and even fun around the stress and pressure from Thanos. But here now…this was different.

The man lying with him here was much different...and Loki realised grudgingly that it was the other Blade he had hoped to bond with. The sober one. But at least he had gotten this far.

"B-Blade..." he greeted, clearing his throat. Blade dipped his face to kiss his shoulder in reply, and Loki hummed. "Hmm...thank you." He watched, fascinated, and decided he could work with this, depending on how much his creation could understand. Loki laughed when he thought about how the other Blade would have treated him in such a situation, and rolled around with some effort to face Blade. He pressed up against the thick dark chest and caressed it, content with lying peacefully.

However, Blade had other thoughts on his mind and lifted Loki's leg up to hook it around his hip. Loki laughed weakly and shook his head, pulling back his leg. "No, no not right now."

Blade frowned heavily, leaning in to sniff at Loki's face. Loki jumped but lay still after wiggling some space between them, without whining too loudly at the pain in his rear.

"W-wait...why don't we...go hunt some vampires?" Loki suggested, his voice cracking from all his previous noise-making. The vampire-creature seemed to debate it, then came to a decision with a gruff nod of approval. ' _Hunt_ ' and ' _vampires_ ' must have still sounded good even in his state. Loki sighed happily, but whined when he realised he had to get up from the bed he grew accustomed to. Blade was up in a second, looking around the broken brick and paint scattered across the floor. Loki groaned and smacked his head back into the bed and mumbled a few incantations to aid healing somewhat before getting up.

When Loki had finally gotten up and dressed them both he realised just how flimsy his control of the situation was. Blade seemed to be thinking behind those murky red-eyes, but Loki deduced it was short and abrupt thoughts, in reaction to his surroundings and personal desires. Loki didn't know if to fear his thoughts or power more.

Another problem arose when they left the building. Loki wasn't sure if it was day or night-time. He couldn't have Blade tearing through the streets and killing people yet, he needed to keep a low profile. But Lady Luck was on his side and it was already dark. Blade seemed to come alive more and more and grinned widely as they stepped into the night. All weaponry and vehicles were abandoned and they travelled by foot. Loki didn't dare offer him them either. And apparently Blade was over confident, but Loki didn't doubt him, he had enough bruises to prove and he was quite a durable being.

Just like Loki had feared he lost his leash over Blade who ran ahead like a demon, set on killing some vampires. The god spent hours chasing after Blade as if he was a child high on sugar and treats. And not only time did Loki spend, but energy and effort. Indeed Blade sniffed out the vampires as if he had known where they were all along and ended their lives with nothing but his bare hands and some frightening imagination. Loki was extremely relieved that vampires left no bloody remains or it would have been a complete bloodbath in the town.

A few times Blade veered off course and into human populated areas and Loki had to lure him away with magic and hissy fits. It wasn't the humans Loki was afraid for, they just weren't ready to be found by authorities. He needed to have Blade at his beck and call, not only when he decided to humour Loki like a bitching mother.

Towards midnight Loki stopped running and fell back against a wall, panting harshly. He was completely spent, he just couldn't continue anymore. He was already weak from Blade literally taking everything he had, he couldn't go on anymore. His legs and throat burned angrily, he wanted to be warm and cuddled into bundles of blankets and left to sleep for the next millennia. But he had a big responsibility to take care of—and currently it was AWOL.

Fear struck his heart and he pushed away with a frustrated whine. "Blade! Blade, come back!" He yelled, hoping that magically his unruly child would appear.

And he did.

Loki hit back against the wall with a squeak as Blade landed in front of him. Loki looked between the wall and Blade frantically, gawking at the height Blade jumped down from. Still panting, he grabbed onto Blade, "You need to slow down."

"Slow..." Blade repeated as he leaned into Loki. He squished the paler man against the wall and started to smell around the side of his face.

Loki shivered and turned his face away, rather unwilling to allow such hints to pass. "We should go back. You've killed half the population."

"Back..." Larger hands trapped Loki in place as their owner tried his best to tower over him. Loki was taller, but he had slid down the wall in an attempt to escape.

"Yes _back_ ," Loki said encouragingly as he slid down further. Another further and he'd be face to face with Blade's crotch, and mentally facepalmed. His thighs were achy and he couldn't push himself back up, so he used Blade's arms to help himself back up, "To rest. We can come back tomorrow."

"No..." Blade shook his head. Loki gaped—Blade didn't parrot that. It was his own word. Loki's heart jumped into his mouth and he put on his most innocent face in hopes of getting through.

"We need rest, Eric."

Just then Blade pulled away and looked down the alley, body tense. Loki inhaled heavily and pushed towards him, "Blade?"

The creature sniffed the air eerily around them, and snapped his neck back to the previous direction. Then in a flash Blade took off again.

"Blade? _Blade_!" Loki hissed, seriously pissed off. He groaned to himself and took off as well, running after the wild man. They wound down only two corners before Loki realised what they were chasing.

Humans.

They were on the borders of a street but it was empty, save for the two females walking along. And one was but a child. A woman and her child, Loki saw, and skidded to a halt just after Blade.

The woman held her child's hand, walking awkwardly in the highest heels on the market. Her red skirt was tight and short around her dark thighs, her hair frizzy and covering her shoulders. A cheap handbag hung from her shoulder and her little girl hand on a pink bag pack. The child looked to be about three or four years old, Loki honestly wondered how such vulnerable humans could dare to walk about this time at night, even Asgardian women were advised to be careful.

Turning her little head, the child noticed them, lagging slightly so that her mother had to tug her along. She wiggled her arm, pointed with her free hand. "Ma? A man."

Loki stood frozen as the woman looked down at her child., completely unaware. "What?" she asked, and then slowly as if she could sense danger, she followed her daughter's gaze.

A mere few metres away Blade stood in all his terrifying glory. He was shirtless and ruffled, ash and some blood dusted over him. Even Loki knew to run if you had a half-naked crazy-looking man following you in the night. The human's eyed widened and she stumbled back, pulling the little one with her.

She didn't see Loki in the background, all she could see was the large man growling at her like a bear. She didn't know what he truly was, but he was a suspicious looking man and she had her child with her—it was bad.

All was still as Blade stared at his target, growling lowly in a warning humans couldn't understand. Then the woman cried out and ran, screaming at her child to do the same as she pulled her.

Loki's heart leapt from his body and he darted forward as well, Blade a second ahead of them all. "Blade NO!" he screamed, and reached out with all his might to grab the man before he could reach the girls.

But he had underestimated Blade, and tripped to a stop when Blade caught the woman and knocked her to the ground. The child fell and rolled aside, away from them as the woman screamed loudly and began to fight. She aimed for all the right areas and made enough racket to wake Valhalla. Clearly she had been here before, being attacked, but this wasn't an ordinary man. Nothing could be done as Blade pushed aside her face and sank his teeth into her flesh.

Loki swallowed the thick lump in his throat and watched, paralysed. Blade pressed a hand over her mouth and locked her against his chest in an unbreakable grip and Loki realised that Blade's mental capacity was increasing rapidly. Blade was preventing her from making a noise and alerting anyone instead of feasting like a mindless beast. It was a good sign for Loki's plans, but it also worried him for Blade didn't seem to take orders.

The pain was excruciating and the woman cried into his hand as he drained her. Her body shook and tensed in an effort to escape, to live, but the man was strong like no other. She didn't know what was happening, who the man was and frantically, where her child was.

Blade didn't see the child, he hadn't noticed anything besides the body-warmth of a grown female and her delicious scent. He couldn't stop himself and did what his body told him, unaware of it all until a loud shrill cry snapped him back into a completely restart.

" _MAMA!_ " little girl cried as she watched with a front row seat as the strange man hurt her mother. Like an elastic band had been pulled too wide and snapped Blade choked and spluttered as he looked up to the source of utter heartbrokenness.

Even Loki dropped to his knees, his heart growing heavier than it _ever_ had before. He immediately blamed his weak legs, but couldn't bare to look away from the child as she cried, holding her little fists to her mouth, gasping in breath only to let it out with a terrified cry. Fat tears rolled down her plump cheeks and she shook like a leaf in the wind, staring at the monster with blood around his mouth.

Regret poured through Loki and he shut his eyes. He hadn't wanted _this_. War was war, but a little child crying for her mother in the darkness was wrong no matter what race or land. He had thought many times about how he must have been abandoned, crying alone and awaiting death in his helplessness. Just a babe. He hated Laufey for that, it broke his heart—he never understood the victory of hurting a child.

Blade stared at the girl as if seeing her the first time, which he was. His mouth hung open and dripped blood, his eyes insanely wide and red. In the reflection of the little girl's watery eyes Blade saw himself. He looked like the bogeyman hiding in closets and under beds, he looked like the thing he strived not to be. He looked like a fucking monster.

Abruptly he dropped the woman and jumped away from her as if she was toxic, kicking away like he was the frightened child. The girl only cried hard and shrunk back, watching his every move instead of her mother.

Inside Blade's head raged a tornado of memories and they were spat out back into place with a huge puzzle. With each recollection Blade heaved harder and harder until he rolled over and threw up the fresh blood. It looked like something straight out of a horror movie, so much so that Loki gagged and looked away, beginning to sweat profusely.

Blade groaned loudly, confused and sick to his stomach. There was so much buzzing in his head he could barely understand it. He felt as light as a feather, as strong as a titan and as bloodthirsty as his enemies. He was wet with the innocent's blood, it burnt as it slid down his throat. Ringing loudly in his mind he could hear his own voice, "How could you?"

He turned back and looked reluctantly at his handiwork, cringing heavily. The child sat crying continuously, her juice bottle splattered a foot away. The female lay breathing harshly, clinging to life only by the sound of her child. She weakly reached out to the girl, mouthing meaningful whispers.

Blade had never been more sickened in his life. He was angry, so, so very angry. _Livid_. Before him a lay dying woman because of his hands...because of that _imp_.

_Blood, sex and violence._ That was what Blade allowed upon himself, without consent. Loki had gotten to him. He let his guard down, he under estimated the 'god', and now he had ruined himself.

With his face slipping into a blank mirage Blade got up carefully and walked away from the girls. He found Loki and automatically his teeth clenched.

"You..." he snarled as if it were a curse.

Loki looked up with his face open and full of doubt. He was shaking his head, meaning to show that he hadn't purposely wanted this to happen. "Blade...-"

" _YOU!_ " Blade roared and swung his bloody fist, knocking Loki straight into unconsciousness. The kneeling man flew to the right and hit the wall like a doll, crumpling lifelessly.

Blade panted harshly, blood and spit escaping his mouth. Behind him the little girl had crept over to her mother, pushing her limp arm and crying for her to wake up.

Blade turned, his heart in pieces, and headed over to heal the woman before she slipped away from life.

**XxXxXxXxXx**

A terrible feeling took hold of Thor. The further he headed into the concrete jungle the worse the feeling got. The little city was nothing like Stark's side of town, here it was angry and unfriendly. Though Loki could look after himself amongst mortals he still worried for him. Was he lost? Injured? Dead? Or torturing innocent men and women? Thor's head ached. Finding Loki's whereabouts had been tremendously difficult without the power of the Tesseract to trace. And since Loki had mastered hiding from Heimdall, that too was a dead end.

Thor followed trail after trail until he found a witness, an old dwarf to his surprise, whose heart was true and pointed him in the right direction. It wasn't a direct point to Loki but Loki was a big man and this was a small world, Thor had no doubt he would find him.

His last hope led him to a large building that looked to be abandoned, and the humans seemed to avoid it anyway. Thor had left his cloak and travelled only with his hammer, he didn't want to gain too much attention. Though Fury demanded the entire team search for Loki, Thor demanded that he search alone, for now at least. He wanted to find Loki himself. The team split and followed their own hunches, but Thor was closest to his brother, he knew he had the best chance of finding him.

It soon became apparent that he was at the right place. He recognised an ancient language scribed above the little doorway that hid around the building. He couldn't tell what it said but he recognised it from one of his many trips to Earth, it seemed to be of the light elves that live in Álfheimr. His eyes could see the energy of magic around the door but the humans couldn't. He suspected it was a camouflage to keep them from coming near. But it didn't work on him, and he entered as quietly as possible.

It was dark inside, there was a long corridor. Thor hesitated at first. He knew Loki was full of tricks and he really didn't want to be skewered by any of them. He gripped Mjölnir tighter and headed carefully down, following the golden dust particles in the air.

Soon light was present and Thor turned into a room. It was fashioned into a chamber much like those of Old, holding a large bed, hand crafted cupboards and scattered leather tomes, clothes and material lying around. The bed was rumpled and Thor quickly went on guard now that it was apparent someone lived here.

He stepped in some more, but he didn't make it past the third step. He was stronger than he was fast but thanks to his instincts he jumped back just in time to escape the glinting blade of a silver weapon. Another slash came at him but he raised Mjölnir to block it, creating a spark, and dove out of the way. His attacker followed like a limb and swung the sword-like staff, just missing the tip of Thor's nose.

Desperate and in a corner Thor swung his hammer and caught his opponent with a kick. The other grunted and skidded back a few feet, putting space between them. Thor coughed and took a fighting stance, but finally he was able to see the attacker.

"Who are you?!" Thor asked, demandingly. He stared down the other man, looking into his narrow eyes. Thor was surprised, it was a man of the elf race. Pale and sleek but deadly by skill. Thor had many good memories of his visits to such people, their ale fine and their women finer. He didn't expect to find one out here, he hadn't thought such a creature would fit in amongst the modern times of man. Elves were known to hold ancient beliefs close and stick by them loyally. Though judging by the room, it seemed this one did too.

The elf prince held a steady stance, but tilted his head and gestured to Thor with his staff. "...I know who you are."

Thor nodded. "I am Thor, god of-"

"God of Thunder and heir to the royal Throne of Asgard. I know, prince. Why do you snoop around my home?"

Thor watched as the man lowered his weapon, but he didn't do the same. "Who are you?"

"I am Prince Nuada Silverlance. Only son of King Balor and heir to my own kingdom... I shall ask again, why are you in my home?"

An elf prince, son of Balor? Perhaps he could help. Thor lowered Mjölnir and straightened up. He nodded respectfully. "I am looking for my brother. I've been searching many lands, I finally found a promising trail here. I mean no harm to you, I just want my brother." Though it sounded like his search was going well, Thor realised the magic energy could simply be the prince's and not Loki's.

Nuada arched a fine bow and leaned to the right, idly waving his sword at his feet. "Your brother? Why would you think he's here?"

"I am looking for a man named Loki. He is tall, fair skinned, black hair, green...green eyes." Thor's heart wrenched. "I must find him before I lose him forever."

Nuada recalled everything Loki had told him about this _Thor_. Spoilt, arrogant, an oaf, and annoyingly handsome. Nuada laughed to himself and decided it was too early to judge himself. But he didn't like the man's desire to find Loki, it was suspicious. "...He isn't here."

"But he was?" Thor fished.

Nuada bit purposely. "Maybe. But Loki is a strong soul, he does as he wants."

Thor sighed heavy in relief. At least Loki had been here, even if he wasn't here now. It was closer than Thor had been all this time. "Why was he here? Are you his friend, perhaps one I have never met?" Thor searched his brain trying to recall Nuada from the old days but there was nothing to find. Through his time on Álfheimr he had never met a Nuada, but he did recall the old name of King Balor.

Nuada shrugged lightly. "Loki was in need of shelter from his entrapment. I provided it and we...got acquainted." Nuada couldn't help the devilish smirk that rose after the last word, the kind Loki used a lot and rubbed off onto him. Oh he and Loki had got _very_ acquainted. Not that he had instigated it, Loki had come to his bed out of his own, and Nuada was not about to refuse him.

Thor frowned at the inside joke he didn't _want_ to understand, and growled lowly. "...Do not smirk so when speaking of Loki. It's improper."

"Improper?" Nuada laughed. "I can only imagine how you'd react if I were to say we shared flesh."

"WHAT?!" Thor bellowed.

"Loki is his own man, Odinson, he is not your slave to be bound and stored away. He comes and goes here as he pleases and if he wishes to bed I give it to him. When he wishes to brood I brood with him. When he has had enough and wishes to leave, I let him. Because he is free. And that is why he is evading you." Nuada added at the end by pointing his blade at Thor. He turned and walked towards his bed, grinning to himself.

Thor fumed, his face growing red beneath the hair. He marched after the smaller man and raised his voice. "How dare you! I only wish to have Loki safe. He isn't thinking right, he is blinded by foolish pursuit and a victory he will never have. I love him with all my being, I just want him safe!"

"In your bed?" Nuada teased, glancing at him other his shoulder.

"You heathen—" Thor went red, raising his hammer.

But Nuada turned swiftly and raised his sword, his heated expression stopped Thor. "I am a king! You will respect me as such."

"You said prince, why does it change now?"

"I am exiled, so I choose to keep the title of prince. It's less obnoxious. But do not anger me, I have much patience but I will not tolerate you speaking to me of capturing Loki. He told me why your father stole him away from his land as an infant, and yet you do not better yourself, you follow your father's—"

"Loki is a master of lies and trickery. He manipulates and influences others to _his_ will. He is cunning, and he is angry. But you cannot believe I am so barbaric? I love him, I care about him but he will destroy himself if he continues with all that hate in his heart! I will not force betrothal onto him or force him into my bed—! Loki wishes to be king and a marriage to me will only make him queen. Loki wants absolute power and vengeance—...I just want him happy and besides me. I never meant for him to feel below me..."

During there small time together Nuada had grown exceptionally fond of the black-haired minx. Though immature and obsessed, he was smart and interesting. Loki was ambitious, funny and full of life when he was in a happy mood, it was a most beautiful sight. Nuada spent many of their days reclining and watching Loki ramble on about his past adventures and the spells he had mastered, it was what made him feel for the other. Nothing would provoke Nuada to stand against him, he wished only to protect and _guide_ him. If Thor was speaking the truth, then they had something in common.

"...Then leave him be. He has freedom." Nuada said softly.

"But that isn't—"

"It is. He's acting upon foolish dreams, soon he will mellow and come to realise he has lost and he'll...ebb away."

"Ebb away? I want Loki to be proud and soulful back in Asgard with his family! He may still have to pay for his crimes but he will reunite with us and I can prove to him my...love."

"You speak like a man smitten." Nuada chuckled. He also heard they weren't blood brothers, and if he had been around Loki for so many years he too would be been deeply smitten.

Thor thought about the words before answering. "...Perhaps I am. But there is no lust clouding my heart. I want my brother back first and foremost."

Nuada tilted his head, comparing Loki's version of Thor to this one. "...I heard of all the trouble he gave you when coming to Earth. He was upset with you."

"And still I follow him, but it seems to only drive him away. Perhaps he likes to make me beg..." Thor sighed, wishing he could find Loki wrapped up asleep on the bed so he could just take him home. He was tired too, he was stressing and now that he was so close he couldn't bear to wait any longer.

"You'd beg for him? Plead?" Nuada asked curiously.

"I have done so already."

"Then you truly love him?" Nuada stepped forward, watching Thor like a hawk for lies.

Thor pulled a tight expression. "I'd do anything for him. I'd give anything to make him happy. Provided it's reasonable, of course."

Nuada felt similar, but unlike the Asgardian Loki felt as much love for him as he did for a fluffy cat. Constantly Loki went on about his moronic brother, but beneath it laid layers upon layers of sad love. "And how will you prove to him you will not restrain him? He has made it clear he will not be used like an objected."

"I have never used Loki. I was arrogant once but I learnt a valuable lesson and it made me a better man. Why won't he learn his?"

"...Ask him that yourself."

Thor's eyes flashed and his heart leapt with hope. He hurried forward, excited. "You know where he is?"

"Vaguely. He is with another man." Nuada said, pulling his lips in jealously.

Thor's face went red again. All Nuada could do was laugh. "What—?!"

"I know, I almost feel used." Nuada placed a palm on his chest.

Thor looked around as if nothing made sense. "So while I drown my sorrow in drink he drowns his in bed? ...I hadn't thought Loki...I thought he..."

Nuada's smile faded at the genuine hurt in the thunder god's voice. He sighed. "...He's practiced, despite his sweet face. But maybe you should find him, he has been concocting dangerous plans."

"Loki..." That sounded just like him. "Where is my brother?"

"...Underground cavorting with vampires. I have an idea where he is. I could show you the way."

"I would appreciate that, Prince Nuada." Thor bowed gratefully.

Nuada bowed in return. "Give me a minute to dress properly."

**XxXxXxXxXx**

When Loki awoke he had to stare at the various black spots on the ceiling until his vision stopped swimming. His head pounded with a gigantic headache and his limbs hurt like hell. When he tried to move he found he was tied to the bed by his wrists and ankles, and he was much too weak to fight it.

His heart sunk into the pits of his stomach and he felt as though he might tear up. His eyes brimmed but he swallowed thickly, and looked around. "...Eric?"

Immediately he was answered, and he turned his head to see Blade standing by the bedside. "Don't call me that." Loki jerked, finding the old Blade standing in his place, armour and sunglasses equipped.

Blade had gotten his mind back, he looked as if he could remember everything and he wasn't happy about it. Loki shrunk back, his eyes trembling, but he still tried to remain strong. "...What is the meaning of this?"

"Does it feel good to be weak, and powerless?" Blade asked, no emotion in his voice.

No, it didn't. But Loki didn't know how to answer that, he _couldn't_ answer that. Was this how Thor felt when stranded on earth by Odin? Loki's face had its own heartbeat and he struggled to remember his last conscious moments.

"That woman almost died." Blade said. He had been able to save her and leave her in a populated area and not even a minute later she was found and helped. But it did not erase what had happened.

Loki started to shake his head. "...I didn't expect that. I—I thought you were sated with my blood, a human's wouldn't compare." It was the truth. He didn't expect Blade to attack and feed on a human. Blade had drained him constantly and his body just kept refilling to heal itself, so why would Blade bother with the weak blood of a human? Perhaps the instincts were more unpredictable than Loki could imagine.

"Then you underestimated your _creation_." Blade spat. He couldn't be more disgusted if he tried.

Loki was astounded by Blade's sudden clarity of mind. "...You're still... you're not...influenced?"

Blade smirked humourlessly. "I learned to balance. Until it leaves my system at least."

"What...you'd give up that—ACK!" Loki was cut short. Blade clasped an unforgiving hand around his throat and squeezed it, enjoying the way his arms pulled at the rope.

"I am trying to find the best way to kill you, so shut up." he released Loki roughly and turned away, leaving Loki to cough into the crook of his arm. "Those Avengers should have finished you when they had the chance. I guess you didn't piss them off enough."

Loki sucked in breath. The situation had turned deadly and Blade spoke as a man ready to kill. Nothing in his voice was sarcastic or testing. He was finished, he was now fatal.

"...Blade...I don't...you're not understanding—"

"I said shut the fuck up. You're nothing but a lying whore. And you know it. Now I see why your brother was so fed up, he had to put up with you and your bullshit. I think I'll dump your body on Fury's doorstep tomorrow."

Panic choked Loki and he shook his head vigorously. "...No. No...I...I'm not ready to die."

"I really don't care."

"B-Blade—"

Blade cocked his head, and leaned over Loki as he removed his shades. "I think I'll do it the way you wanted me to. I'll drain you. Every...last...drop." His eyes were still blood red, holding a deadly glint.

"...I-I'll live-" Loki said, lying, unsure? He tried not to shiver at the demon-like eyes peering straight into his soul.

"Not after decapitation and dismemberment."

Loki made a funny noise and began to struggle again. "You can't do this. I gave you this power! Do you not appreciate it?!"

"I don't want it!"

By now Loki was desperate for survival. The look present in Blade's eyes was no joke, livid and bloodthirsty. "Draining me will only increase it—"

"I'll keep low till it wears off, it can't stay forever." Blade passed it off, and took a page from Loki's little spell book. He climbed on the bed and straddled the bound male, trying not to think of the things Loki had done to him in the bed. While Loki lay unconscious Blade had searched and searched himself for what possessed him to engage in such acts. He had never even employed the services of prostitution and yet he had taken Loki so passionately. He would never live it down.

"Stop it." Loki squeaked as the man sat on top of him. He felt so _weak_ , so tired, so drained.

Silently Blade traced his fingers along Loki's face and down to his neck. It had felt like a treat to touch and taste his skin...now it was a chore, and he leaned over for the kill. Loki squirmed violently but he refused to beg, and just as he lost all hope the door slammed off his hinges and Blade kicked up instantly with a hiss that of a hell-bat.

Storming into the room was Thor, and he threw his hammer. It caught Blade in the chest and sent him smashing into the already damaged wall. Loki made a squeaking noise as he watched, and then turned back to look at his saviour. He could no longer hold the tears.

Thor found his brother and stumbled forward, his heart skipping a few hundred beats at the sight of Loki bound to the bed. "Loki!"

"Th-Thor?" Loki whispered, begging with all his mute might for Thor to hold him.

Thor summoned back Mjölnir but never took his eyes off Loki who happened to notice Nuada behind him. "Nuada?"

Nuada shook his head briefly. "I hate to say I told you so."

Loki grit his teeth and blinked away the humiliating tears. Nuada had warned him about vampires, but he was too cocky to listen. Against the wall Blade rose to his feet, dusting himself off as if he merely tripped.

"You will release Loki." Thor commanded, pointing Mjölnir at Blade.

"Says who." Blade snarled, stepping out from the rubble. He took Thor in a heated visual challenge, acknowledging from his peripheral vision that another was present too. So this was Thor? One of the Avengers? How convenient.

"I say! Release Loki now."

Blade snorted. "Judging by your blond hair and that big ass hammer I take it you're his brother, the one he is always complaining about."

"On target." Nuada laughed, quieting when everyone glared at him, including Loki with watery eyes.

"I have come to take him home. You will not stop me." Thor could almost taste Loki. He had finally found him, and as the shock subsided joy filled his heart. Nothing would stop him from saving Loki now.

"Fine. But first I'm killing him."

Thor stepped forward threateningly. "No, you aren't."

"Yes I am." Blade countered, mimicking his movement. He was ready to kill them all, himself included.

Thor glanced at his brother. "...Loki, come home. I need you to co operate."

Loki grit his teeth and kicked his legs uselessly. "I am not coming home!"

"Loki!" Thor cried. It was enough he would have to battle the demonic man, but he'd have to drag Loki by the ankle all the way to Asgard. One look at this Blade and Thor knew that there was unnatural power flowing in his veins. Nuada had filled him in on the way and Thor hoped dearly that Loki hadn't foolishly fed his blood to a creature that could feed off of it. But it was too late, and the creature stood before them all like a demon ready to erupt.

Nuada stepped in before Loki could reply. "Perhaps...leave him on Earth, but send him into exile, away from the humans. Someone can watch over him—"

Loki whined in frustrated and hissed at Nuada, kicking his bound feet as much as he could for the effect. "And I am not running off into the sunset with you! Stop asking!"

"So you're rather be bare and bound to this bed? To this man? Look at what he's done to you...—"

Blade slapped his hands together and held them out. "Motherfucker please. He deserves it for making me his personal bitch."

Thor tried his best not to imagine Loki with yet _another_ man and pointed at him. "Loki will face the Asgardian council's judgement—"

"That means nothing to me. He'll face mine first."

"He shall not."

Blade's nostrils flared. He took a moment, looking away from Thor's blazing eyes. "...I attacked and almost killed a young woman last night. With her child watching the whole fucking thing. All because of this bitch." Blade looked up. "He deserves a lot more than a few cuts and scraps. I saw what he did to the city. He needs to be stopped for good, not put in a cell he will escape."

"He will not escape this time." Thor said too quickly. Blade's bloodlust for his brother was as bad the Chitauri's had been. Loki was pissing everyone off, and as usual, Thor had to be there to keep them at bay.

Nuada stepped forward and glowered at them both. "You shouldn't lock him up."

Blade raised a brow at him, as if saying 'Who the fuck are you'. "He's a psycho. He's no better than vampires who kill for fun."

"Loki isn't thinking straight." Thor argued.

"I could've used that warning a while ago."

On the bed Loki blushed in humiliation. Standing around him were the three men he had dreaded meeting. Especially in this circumstance, _especially_ seeing as he was degradingly tied to the same bed he had bedding Blade in. He was still tied to the bed, his clothes tattered, his skin marked with violent love evidence and the room still smelt if you smelled hard enough. Loki felt as if he would die of humiliation.

"Release Loki and you'll never see him again." Thor promised the aggravated man.

"...I can't take that chance."

"Please." Thor begged, shocking both Loki and Nuada "I wish only to help him. I will personally be his guard."

Loki swallowed and shook his head. He didn't want to go back to Asgard. He would be locked up and never seen the sun again. He'd have to endure Odin's stink eye of doom and Frigga's crying and stare at Thor for eternity through a glass wall. "No, no, Thor—! Just leave me be—"

Thor turned a hefty glare on him. He gestured around angrily. "Look at the trouble you have made here! You are coming with me."

Nuada smiled at Thor's will to save his brother, and stepped up to Loki, gesturing to the cloth binding his wrists. He tapped his sword to it. "May I?"

Blade grit his teeth and looked between them. He looked away and said nothing.

Nuada took the gap and snipped open the bonds. Loki withdrew his arms to his body and immediately tried to sit up. Thor pushed past Nuada to help him. "Loki?"

"Get off..." Loki breathed as he struggled, his very bones numb and yet sore. Nuada cut his ankles loose too, and stepped back as Thor purposely shielded Loki from them.

"Let me help you—"

"I do not need help—!" Loki yelled, but it cracked and he trailed off, his eyes big and wet. It broke Thor's heart.

"We will speak at home." Thor promised, patting down Loki's hair comfortingly.

"I am not going home." Loki repeated, but this time it was empty. He suddenly remembered how good Thor's warmth was and shuddered into it despite his feelings. He pulled his legs to his chest and was about to make a sarcastic joke, but Thor abruptly released him and he fell to his hands.

"I am not going hurt you!" Thor roared angrily with outspread arms, making Loki shrink back and Nuada grip his weapon. "All those sick things you think of me are nothing but your imagination and what the Chitauri filled your head with! Stop spreading such rumours."

Loki's lip trembled and he glanced at the elf. "...You spoke with him?"

Nuada sighed through his nose. "He was true of heart. He worries for you."

Overcome by embarrassment and disappointment Loki looked away from all of them and squeezed the bedding. "I might as well crawl under a rock."

"Good idea." Blade said.

Loki could not stop from looking up at the warrior. He had given him everything he had, _everything._ He thought after such intimate bonding Blade would feel some kind of loyalty to him, but he stood unfeeling as the first day they met. There was no swaying him, and he couldn't pull the same tricks twice. Loki was defeated.

"...Fine." he said, and thus gave Blade his freedom.

Blade made a growling sound, a warning, and pointed a finger. "If you ever, _ever_ , come near me again, I will kill you."

"..." Loki endured the threat and three pairs of eyes. His ego and pride had taken a huge blow and he had lost once more, this time his victim beating him itself. All he had wanted was an ally, and now he was back where he started, but much more ashamed.

Grief dawned on Loki's face like Thor had never before. He pulled Loki up from the bed. "Enough...come Loki."

But Loki refused to move. Not that he _didn't_ want to, he just couldn't. Both his heart and body were broken, he just wanted to collapse and drift into nothing.

"Loki..." Thor pulled on his arm, just managing to pull him off the bed. Loki's legs buckled and Thor caught him, his large hands shaking at the state of his green-eyed dove.

But not everyone felt sorry for him and Blade drew his gun. He aimed it at his enemy, hoping to get him out faster.

Hurt flashed across Loki's handsome face and he leaned against Thor, but he didn't truly feel comfortable. Thor was judging him, and Blade hated him. He didn't blame them, but... no one truly wanted to be hated.

Pressing his lips together Nuada slid around and leaned over to steal Loki's attention. "...Come with me."

Thor's arms tightened around Loki's body. Said male lifted his head and looked around again despite Thor trying to turn him away.

"Do not start." Thor growled. "I am grateful for your help but—"

Nuada cut in. "Let me speak. Allow Loki a fresh start. I'll keep him from the humans and give him a kingdom to rebuild. He can be happy."

"What kingdom? I thought you were exiled."

"I am but there is no one ruling my lands. My sister is married and lives with a society similar to S.H.I.E.L.D. I am the male heir. I can return and rebuild the kingdom. I could always use some help." he said, and gave Loki a welcoming look.

Blade scoffed, his gun lowering. "That's not a good idea. A leopard never changes its spots."

Thor weighed the value of what Nuada was offering, and it made him worry. But it wasn't allowed to happen. "I cannot...I cannot allow that. Loki has to answer for his crimes. I do not like it either but we must all learn from our mistakes."

Nuada touched Loki's arm. "Loki come with me. We'll be kings. You can be worshipped. You can have everything. _Just come with me._ "

Loki didn't know what to think or where to look. He really liked Nuada, but he didn't know if he could love him, clearly that was in the fine print of the offer. Nuada was far beyond his years, and he was too peaceful for Loki's liking. But Thor...Loki knew where his home was, but he didn't want to go there either. He _wanted_ to be stubborn. The idea of a whole land of magical creatures to rule made his heart skip, especially seeing that it included Nuada, but for childish reasons he wanted to fight for what he received. _He_ was the victim here.

"You let him go and you'll have a catastrophe on your hands." Blade warned.

Thor sighed and gave the elf an apologetic but final look. Blade was right, and Nuada had no rights to claim Loki. And Loki was past due for his sentence. "Nuada, I respect your kind wishes but that cannot be allowed. I am sorry."

Nuada growled. "Give Loki a choice."

"Don't do that." Blade advised.

"Be silent." Nuada spat, giving him a filthy look.

Blade raised a brow. "I may not be a prince but I'll whip your ass."

"Huh, care to elaborate?" Nuada laughed confidently, turning towards him.

"No, no this isn't the place." Thor said, moving Loki slightly to the side as the tension rose. Loki struggled to see over Thor's chest what would happen.

"Loki deserves a choice." Nuada insisted. Loki hung his head.

"He deserves the boot."

Loki winced at the recollection of his few conversations with Director Fury.

Nuada's anger flared. "You're ungrateful. He offered you his power, and you spat it in his face."

"Sorry, I don't speak prince." Blade retorted coolly. Nuada scoffed, then grunted angrily as he lunged for the first attack.

"No!" Thor cried, frustrated, and pulled Loki back.

A small but powerful smile danced onto Loki's face. Nuada was fighting for _him_. Nuada was defending him. Just as Thor had so many times...maybe _that_ was his true power...

But his fuzzy feelings were shaken out of him by Thor who looked murderous as the men fought in the background. It made his blood run cold and his stomach twist. "Look at this! Is this what you want! Is this _all_ you want?! _Chaos_?!"

"I didn't tell them to fight!" Loki yelled back as he shoved again his brother's broad chest, looking between the trio.

"Why must you cause havoc wherever you go?! How have I betrayed you so that I must suffer?!" Thor cried. He sounded like he was about to kill something, but he also looked as though someone he loved had died. Loki's scowl fell in a second and he gaped silently, shivering as Thor began to pet his arms where he shook him roughly.

"Do you truthfully think I would force myself upon you, brother? I love you, I—...I could never hurt you so." Thor hated that lie above all else. He tolerated Loki and his bluffs, but that was too much.

For once Loki didn't try to make it worse, but softly asked, "...And your father? He wanted—"

"It is null and void, Loki! It no longer stands. Our only desire is that you come to us, as a family."

In the background they heard Blade cry out, and then a loud crack of bricks and Nuada followed after.

"...I'll be a prisoner." Loki said, resisting looking at the men.

Thor leaned over. "As we were served punishment as children you have to be punished now. But it will not be forever. This world is already suffering with the new kinds of people in it, let's not add anymore to that."

It was so hard to say 'Okay Thor'. Accepting his own defeat wasn't as bad, but giving in to the authorities was not a verbal 'yes' he could give. His eyes said it all though, and his head titled back with a puff of air.

Thor smiled gently, and was so tempted to sneak an innocent kiss on his parted lips, but a loud choking noise pulled him away. Blade was heartily choking Nuada against the wall whilst enduring a series of sharp kicking to the ribs. Loki flinched and allowed Thor to release him and hurry over to them.

"Hey! Put him down!" Thor said, brandishing his own weapon. Blade got distracted and Nuada used it to his advantage with a chop to a special nerve in the neck. Blade dropped him and he rolled away, coughing and massaging his throat.

Thor hurried between them to hold off any more squabbling, but the men did the exact opposite.

"You fight well." Nuada said when he could speak, shaking himself out.

"...You too." Blade replied.

Thor made sure they were calm before continuing. "Loki is coming with me. Please stop quarrelling, we need friends and allies rather than enemies."

Nuada smiled, and held out a chalky hand to Blade. "Allies?"

"...We'll see." Blade nodded, ignoring his hand. He spared a glance in Loki's direction. "Get him out, now."

Thor was more than happen to obey. He turned and collected Loki in his arms. "...Come Loki."

The God of Mischief bit the inside of his bottom lip and stared at the dark man. He wanted to say something, change his mind, or maybe apologize? He just wanted some kind of acknowledgement. Blade remembered everything that happened during there time and yet he was acting like a stranger. Perhaps Loki truly did not understand him...

Nuada bowed to Blade. "Until we meet again, Blade."

Quick goodbyes were said and Thor led them out. He helped Loki along, sighing when Loki smacked him away for trying to lift him bridal style. Loki wasn't walking right and Thor didn't want to even begin to imagine the reasons. Nevertheless Loki trudged his way out, not looking back at Nuada or Thor who glanced at once another.

Soon they were out in the sunshine and Loki squinted. He held up a hand and groaned, craving Nuada's dim comfortable room.

"Mother was worried sick about you." Thor said as he came up behind him, naturally drawing Loki close.

"Oh..." Loki said numbly. Thor always used Frigga as a peace holder. Loki still deeply cared for her but he was as stubborn as a mule and refused to show it.

"We all were." Thor added.

"Why aren't the rest of your mighty friends here to attack me?" Loki grumbled.

"This isn't their fight anymore. Apparently it's back to sibling rivalry." Thor said, sarcastically.

Loki grit his teeth behind his lips and looked away. Idly he wiped his hands under his eyes, making sure no tears sat settled there from earlier.

Looking between them, Nuada sighed. Loki looked to be avoiding everyone's gaze, save for the ground, and it was most difficult to keep from grouching about it. Nuada sorely enjoyed Loki's company and he hated seeing him crash so, but learning on your own mistakes was more often than not the only way we truly learn lessons. There was little he could do if Loki wasn't willing to fight as well.

"I suppose I must be off, if you won't give him to me." He said grudgingly, earning a troubled look from Thor.

"I am not a fucking object!" Loki burst out suddenly from Thor's arms, looking as angry as he did upset, making both men jump.

" _We know_." They both snapped, surprising all three of them. Loki looked at them uncomfortably, then turned around, folding his arms in a stubborn and yet defensive manner.

Nuada pressed hips lips together, regretfully, and slowly walked over to him. He leaned slightly to receive Loki's bitter attention and reached out benevolently. They locked gazes and Nuada sent him a visual apology. He caressed Loki's cheek briefly before the male pulled away. "...I enjoyed our times together. Even when you abandoned me in a cold bed to harp on about the Avengers."

Loki's cheeks burned. "...How nice."

"Look after him." Nuada called to Thor, forgiving Loki's hard shell. "He's still young at heart."

"I will try my best. Thank you, Nuada." Thor said, and stepped up to shake hands. The men nodded in mutual respect and Nuada reluctantly took his leave.

"Farewell, princes."

The Asgardians watched him disappear quietly, but the silence was heavy and loud. Loki remained as stiff as a board, telling himself not to care, but it was certainly more difficult to do than he would have thought. Nuada was a good man, he took him in and kept him safe, fed and warm. What kind of thanks was this? But surely Nuada wouldn't take it personally, Loki gave him no illusion of the depth of his wants and affections. He knew what Loki was about, he knew what he strived for, he knew who and how Loki was…

When the heavy silence finally got to Thor he broke it with a soft pull on Loki's arm. "You were difficult to find without the energy of the Tesseract."

"I thought by now you could sniff me out by my scent..." Loki taunted, keeping his arms folded as he looked away from where Nuada disappeared to and into the silver plates on Thor's chest.

A sly and almost mischievous expression shimmered up onto Thor's face. "Loki, you tell all these horrid tales of how I'm going to abuse you through marriage but you forget that night we spent. You were completely consenting, you cannot lie about that."

Loki struck him with a glare and shrunk back as if his words could harm him. "...I never told anyone of that. Besides nothing happened. ...Nothing...big."

"I thought it was beautiful." Thor argued lightly, following him.

Loki turned away with a scowl and tightened his hands around his chest, be it for comfort or defiance, he didn't know himself. "Well there will be no more! Not now that..."

A moment of silence passed and Loki felt the elder's gaze burn into his back, but he remained silent until Thor gave in, as usual."...Loki, please do not hate me for Father's plans. Did he ever bring them up? Loki in our years did Father ever bring up such plans? No. They are no longer in place and no one will force them on you, they haven't been in plan since we were boys. You are everything to me."

Thor sounded so genuine and so loving that Loki decided to believe him. Until he got his energy back, of course. He was weak and there was no escaping Thor at the present moment. Loki did not want to go back to Asgard and burn beneath his _father_ ' _s_ disapproving glare. He didn't want to be the captured war criminal, and he wished he hadn't failed in his last chance. But he did want Thor...again, until he got his energy back. ."..I don't want to fight anymore, I'm tired."

The victory was too easily won, especially for where Loki was concerned but Thor accepted it, desperately, and took hold of the unstable looking male. "You are extra pale. Surely you ache...How much did you feed him?"

"...Enough. Just...let's go before I run." Loki _seriously_ did not want to discuss _that_. He could still feel the imprint of Blade's hardened length inside him, not to mention his hand prints around his arms and legs, and the multiple bite wounds. He dearly did not want Mother to see him like this.

Thor held out Mjölnir to the side and secured Loki to his chest with a innocent satisfaction of the success of retrieving his lost brother. "Hold on. You're weak, I don't want to lose you on the way."

Loki wrapped his arms around Thor's neck and laughed throatily. "Oh yes. Gods forbid I fall into Jötunheimr and get eaten for my treachery."

Thor stiffened at the thought and bumped Loki against him lovingly. "I won't let that happen."

Loki smiled softly, and turned his neck to parading his bite marks. "Too late."

Thor half-laughed and half-sighed, sporting a troubled expression that only Loki could cause. Loki laughed lightly with him, but leaned against him with a hum. "From now on." Thor promised, and with a call to Heimdall took them home.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had wanted a good old fashion fight between Thor and Blade but it just didn't go that way. The characters write themselves most of the time. So, will I win the award for the weirdest fic out there? I hope I kept the characters true, in essence at least, it's hard to judge in such a crazy situation.
> 
> More to come, with a surprise.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this is the second arc of the story. Loki is a silly little noodle
> 
> _I apologise for errors_

** Chapter 8 **

Abandoning his post, Heimdall hurried up to the Royal Palace of Asgard. Soldiers made their rounds, servants moved from place to place and a large group of Asgard's common folk headed out from the throne room. Heimdall nodded courteously when they greeted him, and moved through them as quickly as he could.

Stepping down from the throne, stiff and leaning on Gungnir, Odin looked up, his face drawn. It fell slightly when he saw it was Heimdall, knowing well that the Gatekeeper rarely left his post during the day unless it was serious. 

“Allfather, I have news on Loki.” Heimdall said as he bowed to his king. Frigga was to the right a few steps away from the throne. Odin's face twitched but remained impassive. Frigga needn’t hide her concern and approached the Gatekeeper, glancing back at Odin, wishing her husband would do more when it came to their youngest.

“What is he doing? Escaping?” Odin asked impatiently. 

“No, my king. But Loki knows I have seen him this moment, escape might become a problem.”

Odin barely shifted, stoic and still, but both Frigga and Heimdall could see the wheels turning in his head. “What is it?”

Heimdall hesitated. He looked between the king and queen, the latter of whom looked to be just as impatient as the king, albeit more concerned. And they had reason to be. 

“…Loki is with child.” he said eventually.

Frigga stepped forward in shock. “What?” she whispered, her hands finding their way to her stomach.

Odin's head swirled, and his limbs shook the tiniest. He kept it from showing and leaned inconspicuously, focusing on keeping his voice steady. “Do you know whose it is, Heimdall?”

“No, my king.” Heimdall said, his face drawn.

Frigga looked back and forth between the men, her mouth open in a waterfall of emotion. She then looked towards the prison. “Oh Loki….”

“Did he find out now when you did?” Odin asked. 

“Yes.” 

“Then he is no more than a couple months at the very most.” Odin nodded solemnly. Frigga looked increasingly concerned, her eyes flickering nervously back to Odin as her body kept aiming toward the dungeons. If Odin saw it, but chose it ignore it. “Fetch me Thor, Heimdall.”

“At once, my king.” Heimdall bowed, gazing through the land before turning to get him. 

Tired, Odin heaved himself back over into his chair. He'd just had a very long court session, Vanaheimr was hinting for Asgard to host a celebration for their queen, the new warriors were lazy and full of buck, the common folk needed aid in respect of a strange new crop vermin and now there was yet another problem revolving around his stepson. Odin was tired.

Frigga stood silently off to the side, her stomach in knots. The urge to hurry down to the gaol to Loki was overwhelming, but the instinct to protect Loki was greater—Odin would not appreciate her doing so, and leaving Odin to brood alone spawned dangerous things. She was immensely glad when he didn't say anything harsh, _anything at all_ , but it made her mind run wild with what he could be thinking. And yet she couldn’t open her mouth to distract him.

Thankfully it didn't take a long time for Thor to arrive. Heimdall led him in and they walked up to the Allfather. Heimdall stopped a few steps away, and stood with his hands behind his back should his gaze be needed. Thor looked concerned too, glancing at Frigga as he stopped before the stairs to the thrones, looking up at his father who was looking increasingly aged. 

“Yes father?” he asked, carefully.

“Thor, I need you to answer me truthfully.” Odin started, making sure his tone held no room for argument. He was leaning forward on one knee, the other hand on Gungnir.

“Of course?” Thor prompted, frowning.

“No, _completely_ , Thor. I don’t care now if you hid Loki on Midgard, or if you allowed him to evade you or trick you, or whatever the case might have been. Just be honest with me _now_.” he snapped, and Thor glanced at his mother worriedly. “You’ve admitted your love for him. But have you lain with him?”

Thor's neck snapped painfully back to the Allfather. He turned red and shifted slightly, feeling very much like a little boy caught doing something wrong. “What?”

Odin remained a statue. “Thor, the truth. In these very recent months have you lain with him?”

“No, no I have never, Father. Never.” Thor said, honestly, thoroughly embarrassed. He looked back around to his mother and Heimdall, but they could say nothing while Odin was still speaking. Frigga looked close to tears, her hands hovering over her stomach.

Odin debated his words, and after an excruciating moment for Thor, he accepted it with a grunted sigh. “…Very well.”

“Why? What has happened?” Thor asked as soon as he felt the leash loosen around his neck.

“Loki is with child.” Odin answered immediately, sounding just as Frigga feared. She shivered at the intolerant tone, turning to stare at her feet as her heart sped, her thoughts on her youngest.

As expected, Thor reddened further and burst, genuinely surprised. “What?!”

“I was honestly not sure if I wanted the babe to be yours, but perhaps it's best it isn’t. Loki has lost any respect to be a queen let alone a king. But I do fear who he has consorted with.”

Thor looked around without seeing, his thoughts rushing from place to place. He realised now why Heimdall was here, he must have seen Loki showing signs, but clearly he couldn't tell who Loki had been with. “…Loki.”

The Allfather looked disappointed, if you could call it that, and forced his way back up to his feet and down the stairs, and marched towards the cells, barking for Thor to follow. “Stay here.” He said to Frigga, who stared, scandalised. Thor shared a troubled and apologetic look with her before rushing after his father, who hadn't walked so fast in many days. It felt like they were heading into battle, and Thor surprisingly felt a cold sickness coat his stomach.

Loki was pregnant.

The guards saluted their king and prince as they rushed by, and followed should their assistance be required judging by Odin’s demeanour. Odin's energy managed to get him to Loki's cell without a halt, and when they arrived they saw Loki on the floor, leaning against the back one of the two armchairs so he faced away from the glass. 

“Loki, get up.” When Odin spoke it was the voice of a king to a prisoner, and it made Thor's chest ache. “Loki.”

But Loki remained where he was, as if he couldn’t hear them. To everyone's surprise, Odin waved away the magical barrier and grabbed Thor as he stepped up straight into Loki's cell. Thor followed obediently and the guards waited just outside.

“Loki, stand and face us.”

“…”

“Loki.”

“No.”

Thor steeled himself when Odin gestured pointedly to the person so rudely ignoring them. He grit his teeth and stepped over to Loki reluctantly, who quickly looked in the opposite direction, then grunted as Thor grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up.

Loki spat a non magical curse at him and pulled away as if Thor burnt him, but his glare moved to Odin and stayed there. “I take it you know?” he asked, panting slightly as he studied their arrival. If looks could kill Odin would have keeled over Gungnir and died, then fallen right through the floor to Hel. Thor felt like his hands were burning, his heart in his throat. Maybe he _had_ burnt Loki.

“You cannot shroud Heimdall here, Loki.” Odin said, his voice cold. Loki stared back with a fierce hatred, wishing he could poke out Odin's other eye and slap on a rusted metal shard in its place.

“Whose is it, Loki?” Thor blurted, his own breath now on par with Loki’s. Odin seemed to be the only one with a calm front, even the guards looked ready to jump at a moment’s notice. Thor couldn't help looking down at Loki's middle, but nothing was revealed beneath the dark green cotton shirt. 

Loki didn't even bother answering, holding up his staring contest with Odin. 

“Is it that Elf’s?” Thor pressed. 

“That is none of your concern, _brother_.” Loki sneered, and honoured Thor with a moment of eye contact.

“Yes, it is.” Thor retorted, threatening to invade Loki's space again if only to shake some sense into him and answers out of him.

Loki smiled a false smile and gestured around, making sure to suck in his stomach from the prying eyes. As if he wasn't distraught enough. “So what of this? You have me, I am your captive.”

“You cannot raise a babe in a cell.” Odin stated.

Loki dropped his hands as slowly as he did his smile, turning it into a venomous twist of his features. It frightened the guards and Thor enough that they glanced at the king more than once, squirming. “…It’s mine. You have me, the child is not apart of this. You cannot take it from me. It’s mine! You cannot decide its fate.” It was his. He didn't know who the father was, he didn't know much about caring for a baby, he didn't know how he'd properly keep it in a cell, but it was _his_ , and right now that was all that mattered. “You’re not taking it.” He couldn’t give Odin the satisfaction, he just couldn’t—it would kill him.

For a moment Thor was worried Odin was going to strike out. But the old man only deflated and shifted, placing an almost paternal look onto Loki, who looked as if he was in battle. “Loki, you cannot keep it in here. Your mother has already offered to raise it for you—”

“No.” Loki cut in, shaking his head with a finality he'd learnt from none other than Odin. He could smell it was a lie even without the stupid incredulous look on Thor’s face, they couldn't have had a conversation on such a delicate topic so soon after just finding out. “No. You’re not taking it. I will rot in here forever if that is your wish but you are not taking it.” Was he being ridiculous? Maybe he was, but he didn't care. Odin wouldn't take his child from him. His heart was still speeding and threatening to derail in his chest like the moment he realised his belly was expanding and why he'd been feeling so odd. Pregnant. He'd fallen pregnant. Jotuns got pregnant, and he'd done enough for this not to be a complete surprise. He just didn't expect it.

“Loki, think clearly.” Odin said, again in an almost gentle manner, but it sounded delicate. Thor looked back and forth, dreading the second it broke. He knew Frigga would raise the child anyway even if Odin didn’t ask her to, it was Loki that was in the way now.

Loki smiled again, his face sparkling with defiance. “Then release me. Or leave me be. But I am the mother and I will raise it.” How? He did not yet know, but he was smart and he'd figure it out. Also he was sure Frigga would make her way down here at some point, she wouldn’t deny him the means to care for it himself if he insisted. “So much for being the Allfather. Couldn’t stand what I was so you neglected to teach me some important things about my disgusting body.” Loki spat the last words, making both Odin and Thor flinch.

“Loki, please.” Thor started, swallowing under the fiery emeralds directed at him.

“What, Thor?”

Odin noisily shifted Gungnir to get Loki's attention. “The father, is he a mere acquaintance? How deep does your relationship go—”

“What does it matter? I’m here in your hands.” Loki barked, seeing Odin as nothing but a pest, not the king, not his father. His eyes narrowed and he stepped back. “…It is not a child from an enemy to Asgard. I am not that filthy! I _chose_ my partners because _I_ wanted them, not to bargain like a whore with your petty enemies. I’d do it for _me_ , not just to triumph _Asgard_.” Loki scoffed as if the idea was asinine. Which it was. He hadn't slept with Nuada or Blade for favours. Lying with Nuada was a pleasure, for sport, and Blade...well that was a casualty of war. But he did not spread his legs for gain, he hadn't even for the sceptre or the Tesseract.

“Loki is it the Elf’s?” Thor asked again. “Loki—”

“What does it matter!” Loki screamed, and Thor was sure there were tears in his eyes. “I know not where he is! He was merely a tool in conception, he doesn’t know!” ' _I don't know who he is_.' Loki thought desperately, his mind shifting from the two males who could be guilty. But he wouldn't admit that, he couldn't.

“And you didn’t?” Odin asked, blandly.

Loki took a moment to steady his breath and recognise the patronising tone. His shoulders fell, and he muttered the truth. “…No. I actually didn’t.” 

Thor bristled slightly. “The father should be held accountable. He should give an apology—”

Loki winced dramatically and brought his hands up into the shape of claws, his finger nails long due for a trim. “An apology for _what_? Impregnating a Jotun in your capture? What crime is that?” he hissed, looking wild and angry. He _felt_ wild and angry.

“You’re a prince of Asgard Loki—”

“I think you’ve both made it clear that I am not—!”

“Enough!” Odin bellowed. His face was now hard. “Loki, is it your wish to have this child? You are pulling no farce? From your plans of ruling Midgard you now aspire to be a mother?”

“I can only aim so high in here.” Loki spat back sarcastically. He folded his arms on his chest, feeling them just resting on the slight curve of his body, that was thankfully hidden by his loose clothing. “Fine, laugh it up. Have a jolly right laugh.”

“This is no laughing matter, Loki.” Thor said, holding a reasoning hand out in fear Loki would strike out at them, and possibly himself.

“Don’t you think I know that?” Loki replied rhetorically.

“Loki despite your crimes it would be wrong to condemn an innocent child to be raised in a cell. I would not be happy for it.” Odin said, staring down Loki.

But Loki has learnt his hard mask from none other than Odin himself. “…Then let me out.”

Snorting, Odin turned abruptly and waved a hand. The guards parted, and Odin marched out. “Come Thor.”

Stuck between wanting to stay with Loki and force a few smothering hugs on him and staying and ranting, Thor looked away from his glowering brother and reluctantly followed. Odin waved the magical barrier back into place the second Thor’s cape escaped the perimeter, and Loki seemed to relax by a millimetre. The Allfather marched out of the gaols and back to his wife, who sat herself on the stairs, hanging her head with a heavy heart. 

 

In his cell, Loki went back to hiding behind the chair, his eyes watering now that the confrontation was over and he would be given privacy. There went his plans for escape. Finding out he was pregnant was one thing, but now to have Odin breathing down his neck about it meant he would be more watched than ever. It was just his marvellous luck that Heimdall happened to gaze upon him the moment he realised his stomach was expanding. It was stupid to panic and all but rip his shirt up to inspect, the fear and confusion coating his life force must have attracted the keeper’s watch. 

As quickly as he’d drawn up his shirt he pulled it back down again and looked around in paranoia. None of the other inmates seemed to have noticed his odd behaviour and he quickly dropped down into his bed, facing away from them as he began to rock. His mind reeled, panicking and trying to calm him down at the same time. 

“ _Loki, all things have babies_.” Loki could remember Nuada saying those words the first night they met where he made a drunken fool of himself, blubbering on about his misfortuntes, the Avengers and his curse of being Jotun. A part of him whispered that he knew what he was doing, he let this happen, but another part of him denied it, he hadn’t want this. He didn’t know anything about his Jotun side, how it worked, _nothing_. Besides maybe making sharp weapons from his palms with ice when blue. He thought (or more like hoped) he’d have to be in his Jotun form to even try to conceived—he was sorely mistaken. 

A baby. A baby. A child. An heir. The idea was so unexpected he almost didn’t know how to feel—excited or disgusted. He thought about the days Frigga prodded him and Thor about growing up, meeting a beautiful maiden and making a whole armful of babies for her to fawn over. But she knew he was Jotun. What had she been thinking when looking at him? Surely she knew his kind had no females, was it not cruel for her to fill his head with the idea of being with one when he couldn’t? Would Odin have even allowed it—for him to taint some Asgardian maiden with his filthy blue self? Unlikely. But apparently Odin was planning on tainting _him_ using Thor. Fucking hypocrite.

Quickly he grew angrier and remembered he could only count on himself. And if he was going to have a bouncing baby, it was going to be an outcast because it was _his_. And not to mention its paternal links. Nuada’s, or Blade’s? It would probably make no difference though, it was a bastard child and it was his, Loki’s—it was already doomed. He’d just created an innocent life to have it prosecuted… The most he could do was try to keep Odin’s dirty paws off it until he found his next escape.

 

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like BAM yous preggers, iN YA FACE. 
> 
> Also let’s keep in mind this isn’t amazing mythology Loki. This is MCU Loki who always makes the worst choices, loves to be the victim and is basically immature. Fun fun fun.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I apologise for errors_

**Chapter 9**

A few days after the whole scenario, Frigga paid Loki an expected visit. He had cooled down enough to be able to relax when he saw it was only Frigga, but he didn’t get up to greet her.

Outside the cell Frigga stood with her hands clasped, having just waved off the guards from her side for their privacy. “…Loki? Please may we speak?”

Loki reclined on his bed, and spared her a sideways glance. “…What is it?”

“Are you scared?” she asked, staring at him in the same way she always did when he was in trouble and she didn’t want him to lie and make it worse for himself. She’d used that face a lot in his youth, but at the moment he couldn’t feel its effect. He didn’t feel like a little child anymore, not even under her gaze.

“Scared?” he repeated, drily.

“Of this development.” Frigga moved forward until she was a hand’s length away from the magical wall. Any closer and she’d singe herself. “Speak to me, Loki. I’m still your mother.”

_“Are you really?”_ He wanted to say, but he couldn’t get them to pass his lips. He wanted to hate everyone, but Frigga…no. “…What must I say? I’m sorry?” he asked, sounding as tired as she felt.

“No. Just speak to me.”

“Odin sent you to negotiate with me?”

“I know you, Loki. I can even put aside your attempt on Earth, but this? Loki, please don’t use the child for gain _or_ punishment, no matter its patriarch, or your heritage. You’re my son and that is my grandchild, I will not have you both living like—…”

“Like what, _mother_?” Loki shot up to feet, startling her. He began to prowl around the edge of the cell, looking down her hungrily. “What do you want me to say? You can take the child?”

“Why do you want it?” she asked heatedly, matching the look in his eyes. He could give no answer, so she took the gap presented. “Is the father important to you?”

Loki pulled a childish face. “What does that matter? Are Odin and Thor going to hunt him down? For what? Accepting my consent?”

“They want to protect you and Asgard. Should he come here he’ll have leverage over all of us—”

“The child is mine. I carry it, it grows of me, I will birth it, so it is _mine_.” He wished Odin was here, he’d rather be stating this to him. He was the one that needed to know he was not going to give it up. “Did father not tell you Jotuns don’t share the sentiment of wedlock?”

Frigga looked pained, but stood her ground. “And you are _my_ son, Loki. Stop comparing yourself to Jotuns—”

“Difficult to do considering my current _development_ is directly attributed to my heritage of being Jotun.” Loki laughed, and gestured down his body with a wave of both hands. “Did neither of you think to teach me anything? You could have told me what I was.”

“You were just a boy, Loki. You and Thor were always just boys, always making trouble and just managing to get out of it year after year. It feels like it ended so suddenly. I miss my children.”

“…Then could you not understand the horror of being separated from your child?” If he didn’t at least try he’d be no better a parent than Laufey or Odin. He could still be a homicidal war criminal and a good parent. Better than both of them at least.

“You won’t let me raise it for you?” Frigga asked. Loki kept stubbornly silent so she continued. “Then explain it to me? You only just found out you are with child and for one who has been so distant and callous it is hard to believe you are genuine in your love for this new life. Explain it to me.”

How did he explain it? He didn’t know how to. Maybe if he didn’t make sense she wouldn’t bother to dig deeper. “It’s the only thing I have that I can rightfully call mine. Something that will love me. That I can love. Something that…is like me.”

Were those tears in her eyes? “…You’d raise it in here if given the chance here?”

“Yes.” Loki swallowed, blinking away his own.

“What about revenge?” she asked, chuckling a second before it echoed out into sadness.

“…What about it? I’m locked away, I am defeated.”

“You escaped last time.” She smiled, knowing him too well.

“I was not pregnant last time.” Just speaking out the word made him shiver. And strangely, he could not imagining speaking them in a curse. Or maybe it was just Frigga’s presence.

Like a concerned mother would Frigga stared at him, wishing she could reach out an embrace him once more. “…There’s nothing I can say?”

“…No.” Loki took a deep breath and with all his strength turned away from her. “Please leave me be. It will be no problem to the Allfather should I have a babe in my cell, we’re removed from the world. I pose no threat.”

With the most polite goodbye she’d get, Frigga looked away too, and nodded softly before she left. “…I’ll visit again soon.”

 

**XxXxXxXxXxXx**

It couldn’t even have been a couple days later before Thor arrived. Loki wondered if they’d send Fandral next.

“Father has forbidden me from coming to see you.” Was Thor’s greeting. He marched up to the glass, automatically engaging Loki in eye contact before the Trickster could turn himself away. 

“And yet here you are.” Loki drawled, lying on his bed. Trust Thor to go against Odin’s orders because he liked to be in the middle of things.

“Loki, do you care anything for me?”

Loki scowled. “What would that matter? Whose conscience are you trying to clear, your own or mine?”

“Loki, look at me. Each of your attempts for power have taken away more of that brilliant man you used to be. Look at yourself! I am losing you and no matter what I say or do. You slip between my fingers, like oil! Reminding me that I can never grasp you, and yet I cannot be rid of you.” Was it glass surrounding the cell Thor’s hot breath would have spread across the cell wall like a heavy mist, his breathing already racing, his eyes full of fire. Loki just barely kept from flinching, and he tried not to wonder what he and Odin had been discussing to bring Thor here like this. “Can you not see my pain? Even that Elf could see it. You don’t think he’d want to hear of this?”

Loki pulled his lips stubbornly at the reminder and pointed a finger at Thor as if to shut him up. “I don’t need anyone to hear of this. You caught me, you brought me back, so be happy and just leave me alone.”

Thor couldn’t have cared very much because he gave in instantly, pulling his own lips and stalking off. “Fine.”

“Fine.” Loki called back, mimicking him.

Loki watching him leave until he could see him no more, then turned away from the glass and curled up into a foetal position. He never cradled his belly, he didn’t have the courage for that kind of acknowledgement, but he grit his teeth behind his lips and tried to remain calm. If Heimdall was spying he didn’t want to give him anything interesting to report to Odin. Bastard.

 

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

_3 month later_

For the next few months Thor and Odin hadn't shown their faces again and Loki made an effort to try forget them. His food was served regularly, the same portions each day, the guards made their rounds the same time everyday, and Loki found he needed more reading material. Frigga had made it a point at first to visit at least one every fortnight with different books and topics of conversation, now she was scarce, everyone was scarce and he automatically blamed Odin. How was he supposed to manipulate people if there weren’t any people around? The servants and guards passed him quickly, no doubt on Odin’s order.

He didn't read much these days, his mind was troubled and he grew tired and weary quickly. On top of that, his stomach wasn't shy on making itself known and he had counted he was possibly six months since he conceived. There was no sense in hiding the curve with what little magic he could still access as everyone now knew Loki was pregnant. The guards never failed to glance at him as they went by and the other inmates would constantly grin at him and catcall as if he was less a man than they were. At least servant ladies that brought his food tried to hide their curiosity. 

By the time Frigga came again Loki was in the middle of trying to nap. He'd become immobile and depressed despite the simmering excitement of being pregnant. Lying about all day in thought and obsession did not make him hyper with energy as he previously thought, it made him lethargic and he got a shock one morning by the weight of his belly, having been drifting through the days without actually being there.

Moving to where she could see Loki's face, Frigga stood up by the barrier, wishing she could at least put her hand on it.

“How are you?” she asked softly.

Loki stared off blankly with small eyes, slumped down on his bed. “I’m sure you’ve asked Heimdall already.” he muttered without feeling.

“Yes. But I’m asking you.”

“…I am fine.”

“The child?”

“The worst damage that can be inflicted in here is should I fall out of bed.”

Frigga sighed. “Very well.”

“Odin sent you. Why?” Loki made an effort to sit up, his hair long and tousled. He pointedly ignored the way Frigga looked over him as he struggled slightly by the weight of his middle. “What has he decided?”

“Nothing. I am here to offer a choice. A bargain I created and begged Odin to allow, so you will listen. I went on my knees for you Loki, please do not shame me.” Her eyes were shining, but she didn't seem weepy. She looked determined, actually, and Loki almost smiled. At least _she_ still cared for him.

“…What did you ask for?” he asked, hunching slightly so he could hide his stomach with the folds of his clothes.

“Look at you, look at the fear in your eyes—” Frigga's face puckered, and Loki's followed soon after. 

“It’s not fear—”

“Yes it is. I can see it because I’ve had it. I know you, Loki Odinson, you cannot hide from me. Now will you listen to my words?”

He knew this was about taking the child, he had been waiting for this. Waiting was all he could do. “…I am listening.”

“You can’t go through this alone. Let me be with you.”

“Mother, the other prisoners will have quite a show should the Queen of Asgard be living in the prison.”

“I won’t be.” she started, and clasped her hands. “Loki, I cannot offer you freedom from a cell. You caused your imprisonment. But I _can_ offer you a bigger one.” Loki's interest perked, and she took advantage of it. “A cell in the palace—your room. I have managed to have Odin agree to that. You will be confined to your room, all entrances will be sealed off, like these cells. But you’ll have all your comforts, and I will personally set up an area where you can grow the child. But should I request to take the child and show them Asgard when they have grown, you will not stop me.” She stood at her tallest. “He will grow and one day you will have to let him go. He cannot remain with you forever in one room. Just as I, he can visit you, possibly each day as you are his mother, but you must come to terms that you cannot hold him there forever. I will not take him from you Loki, but this is the best I can offer.”

Frigga had spent most of the passed month trying to convince Odin of this idea. She didn't think Loki was ready to handle a child on his own, especially in his frame of mind, but Odin was hard and said it was the fates way of punishing Loki. Still, it would be wrong for the child to grow up in a box, at least Loki's room was large and offered enough space. Not to mention Frigga was terrified of Loki giving birth on his own, and the time was drawing near. 

That was a good offer, Loki could see that, he wasn't stupid. It was possibly the best he could have hoped for, it was a step out the door. But he didn't want to make things easy for them, it would be suspicious, and he knew Odin would be scrutinising each decision he made. Also he liked to be stubborn. 

“…So Odin can fill his head with lies that _I_ am the enemy?”

Frigga looked uncomfortable and sighed heavily. Guilt simmered in his chest but he held his tight-lipped gaze. “No, Loki.”

“And what say Thor of all this? He hasn’t come to share my company in months.”

This time Frigga hesitated, and Loki caught the secret in her eyes. “…Thor has been occupied.”

His eyes narrowed. “With that? That mortal wench? His Avengers?” 

“Among other things.” she said, vaguely, but the look on her face gave her away.

“…No.” Loki's face drained. “He didn’t.” His heart began to race for the first time in months. He would have gotten to his feet by now to pace and throw a tantrum, but he didn't dare try it for the sake of his pride.

Thor had gone to find Nuada. Or Blade. Maybe both? He went to find the father. He and Thor had told Odin about Nuada, and his plot with Blade, but Thor had left any intimate confessions to Loki, and Loki had pointedly (to Thor) failed to mention them. Thor obviously told Odin by now though that he'd been fooling around with the Elf, but did Thor know he'd slept with Blade? But Thor wasn't _that_ stupid, he probably did...

Loki began to fret.

“How dare he?! If I wanted the child’s father I would have requested him! Why is he insisting?!” he yelled, only trying to protect himself. But no one understood that. No one but Frigga.

She kept calm, just like he needed her to, because he was misunderstood and scared. “Odin just wishes to speak with him.”

“ _For what_?! You have me, I am here!”

“Why are you trying to protect him?”

“Because I don’t know who **he** is!” Loki let it slip before he could stop himself. He clenched his teeth immediately in a vain effort to retract the words. He leaned back and stared at Frigga, who stared back with wider eyes. She didn't look disgusted, as he expected, but she did look comically shocked.

“…What?”

No use lying now, so he lowered his voice instead. “…There were two. One more likely than the other.”

“Who are they? Loki if they are a threat we need to know.”

“Thor has met them. When he found me.” Loki admitted, grudgingly. “…One _was_ the elf Thor told you of. But he is benevolent. He would pose no threat to Asgard, and nor would the other. Nuada wouldn’t bring blackmail and the other wouldn’t care, and he wouldn’t even know how to get here to slay me should he be so bothered.”

“Slay you? Loki, how is that not a cause for concern! No wonder Thor is set on finding these men!” Frigga looked about ready to climb through the magical barrier and grab onto him and press him into her chest. He almost wished she hadn't come because now he was feeling even more guilty.

“Call him off, please.” he asked, his voice and tone genuine. “…I am embarrassed.” he choked out, catching her attention. “Please, this will be a big business should Thor return with them, it needn’t be.”

“That is for me to decide.”

Both Loki and Frigga jumped as Odin approached besides her, looking a little healthier than the last time Loki had seen him.

“Odin.” Frigga acknowledged softly, meekly almost, and Loki's palms burned with the urge to slap Odin.

“Allfather.” he ground out, and again almost stood were it not for his bulging belly. How threatening could he look with it?

“Loki, I needn’t warn you, do I? If you conceived this child in a favour for power and another means of war—”

“Odin!” Frigga gasped, looking as shocked as Loki did.

“I will have it removed from you and I will make sure you can never earn repentance from this cell. I am merely stating a warning. Should this child be truly an unexpected gift, then I have no quarrel.” Odin said, in his most honest tone possible. “Are you guilty, Loki?”

Loki was near frothing at the mouth. He'd been trapped in the cell and removed from the world for months now, what plan could he possibly have in here? This wasn't a trip into the Helicarrier that he could punch his way out if he tried hard enough. 

So he answered the way Odin obviously wanted him to. “…I went whoring with the locals and conceived an unwanted child while frolicking on Midgard. Satisfied?”

Odin's face twitched and darkened, and Frigga shook her head besides him. “Loki…”

Loki was far from finished, he had so much pent up inside him, he just wanted to _scream_. “Is that what you want to hear? Did you enjoy my confession? The great Silvertongue, _embarrassed_. Can’t wait to spread that at supper! Tell everyone of the Jotun whore abandoned and left to rot beneath your feet!”

“ _ENOUGH_!” Odin bellowed, alarming the guards and prisoners alike. He turned on his heel and stalked away. “Come Frigga.”

“But Od-”

“I said _COME_.” he ordered, throwing her a commanding expression over his shoulder.

Loki rose to his feet as if he weighed nothing. “Don’t speak to her that way.”

Frigga paused in what she was about to say and stared at Loki in fright. Odin turned back around and stepped forward a few steps, as if he'd imagined it. In their vicinity all the inmates were at the walls, listening and watching intently, obviously waiting for someone's temper to snap. “What?” Odin asked, dangerously low.

“Loki, be silent. Let’s go, Odin.” Frigga said, placing both her hands on his chest.

But Odin was too busy staring at Loki who was staring right now. “You tread dangerous waters, boy. Watch your tongue.”

“Or what?” Loki retorted instantly, but in the same dangerous tone Odin used.

But their stand off was interrupted by a very heartfelt sob from Frigga. “ _Loki_.” she sucked in a breath, her eyes own brimming with tears. She was shaking, pushing against Odin's chest in obvious terror. What did she know that Loki didn't? What did Odin talk about behind closed doors? Loki couldn't find himself to care, he'd gladly take death if it was his way out. But for the sake of his mother, and perhaps his child, he relented, and turned away silently.

The inmates complained loudly as the royal couple walked away.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chappy has some Avengers cameo YAAAAAAY. And Hannibal, woot.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra fun chapter to write enjoy the cameos!
> 
>  
> 
> _I apologise for errors_

** Chapter 10**

“Pregnant?” Tony repeated for the umpteenth time. 

Thor winced as he chugged down his tumbler of beer, shivering as the hair all over his body stood. “Aye. Please don’t tell all of Midgard, Loki will be livid.” He wasn't disgusted, of course not, but he was hurt, and sad, and worried, and angry, and even jealous. And even a little excited, but that was smothered by all the negative emotions surrounding the whole situation.

Tony stare at him, then looked at Steve, then back at Thor, who sighed continuously. “…How does that even work? And I thought _you_ were the god of fertility.”

Thor cringed and moved the tumbler from hand to hand, looking at it as if it would explain everything for him. “Loki is…he is of a different land. They have no female folk as you or I do.”

Steve frowned. “No females? So, how do they…” he trailed off and glanced at Tony who rolled his eyes. “…you know.”

“The fuck do they make babies? The way I’m thinking?” Tony blurted for him, downing his shot of whiskey. Thor hesitated, looking slightly uncomfortable, and mouthed incoherently as he tried to get the words out without visualising Loki doing the act with every Dick, Tom, and Harry. 

Steve looked worried by their expressions. “…How’s that?” His mind headed first for some weird alien technology, but Tony’s voice turned him right around to the place he had purposely avoided.

“Cap, don’t ask questions you’re not ready to know the answers to. Save yourself the agony.” Tony suggested, and offered Steve a shot, which was swiftly nabbed from his finger by Natasha who popped in with little warning.

“The agony of what?” she asked, throwing the shot back with a miniscule wince.

Thor lifted his tumbler in greeting. “Natasha, good to see you.”

“Thor, it’s been a while. I missed you last month, sorry. Coulson put me up in the Himalayas with Clint, not even cell phone reception. Unless you’re Clint who climbs everything he sees.” she said, making Tony wonder if she was included. “So what’s the occasion? Who is dying?” she asked, making Thor sigh again.

“Ah, quite the opposite actually. Thor is going to be an uncle!” Tony announced happily, then shot Thor a dubious look. “…Or dad? Because sometimes I get an odd vibe from you two. He’s provoking you, you’re pinning him down. It’s like Turkish mud wrestling, only with more gay.”

Steve looked off, noting never to find out what that was, and Thor sighed again, tapping the tumbler on the granite table top they sat around. “No, uncle.”

“Loki’s having a kid?” Natasha blurted, slipping out of her usual stoic mask for a moment of surprise before it tightened and she grit her teeth in an automatic offence. “…Who’s the woman? If that asshole—”

“No, no, no woman.” Tony said, waving a hand, “ _No_ woman. _He’s_ pregnant.” He sounded so much happier to announce it that than Thor was. So much so that Thor wondered if it'd be odd to drag Stark with to speak the words again when he found his targets.

“I still can’t see that.” Steve said, pulling a slight face at the logic of it.

“ _He_?” Natasha said, now staring blankly. “As in Loki?”

“As in Reindeer Games who thought he was so badass. Yeah. Got himself knocked up. How? I don’t know.”

Natasha exhaled sharply through the nose, sharing a look with Tony. “As much as I can’t believe that, I _can_ see him taking in the butt and enjoying it.”

“Ah, I shouldn’t have asked…” Steve went red and sunk in his seat. Tony reached over and patted him on the shoulder half heartedly as he mixed Pepsi with his whiskey with the other hand.

“I did say he was a diva.” He glanced up and saw Thor watching him with troubled eyes. “…Sorry.”

Natasha sat herself next to Steve and looked around for whatever news she'd missed. “So, why are you here? Did he escape, _again_?”

“I’m actually looking for the father of the child. Father wishes to speak with him. And so do I.” 

“Oh, that doesn’t sound good. Who is it?” Tony asked, “Must be a villain. What, Victor Von Doom? An alien? The invisible man?” He snorted into his drink. “Imagine sex with the invisible man.”

Steve choked on his own. “Trying not to.”

“Is this a surprise? None of you knew Loki could bake buns in the oven?” Natasha asked, whipping herself up another drink from all the bottles of alcohol and fizzy drinks Tony pulled out for Thor's visit.

Thor frowned at her. “…I don’t understand?”

“Me neither?” Steve mirrored it.

“Can we go back to the topic of the dad?” Tony pressed, itching to go through S.H.I.E.L.D's list of enemies.

“I don’t think even Loki expected this. But he refuses to speak with me, and Father has lost all patience.” Odin truly had, he never mentioned Loki at all, and when he did he had nothing even neutral to say. Thor felt torn between the middle. “…In fact I fear for Loki should he goad father further, it’s only the child now that keeps him from snapping.” 

“What good will finding the father do? What will it mean on Asgard? Is he going to be forced to get a job and support them?” Natasha teased, but Thor only looked more bothered, denting the tumbler absentmindedly with his large fingers.

“He will be expected to state whether he will accept the role as the father of the child, and possibly be offered a place in the palace where his skills can be of use. Or…he can decline and withdraw any ties from Loki and forfeit any rights to either of them. Either way this means leverage over Asgard, we need to know him as an ally or an enemy. And with Loki’s standard on Asgard father will not be kind in his deciding…”

“What does Loki think of this? He didn’t strike me as the motherly type.” Steve asked.

“Yeah, I mean, no offence Thor but he might eat the baby. And if he’s not Asgardian, that might actually not be far from home.” Tony said, filling Thor's tumbler with random concoctions.

“Loki has expressed an interest in the child, but I fear only because its power over us. Mother won’t let harm come to it and it’s causing trouble for Father.”

“But you must have some hope of the outcome? You know with finding the father?” Steve said, glancing at Tony who held a finger up.

“Wait, what leads are you following? Did Loki tell you who he was busy with?” 

“…I know who I am looking for. He wasn’t on an enemy’s side but neither is he an ally. Father will not be kind to Loki if I bring home the father and he proves himself an adversary to Asgard. He will see it as a plot of Loki’s.”

“But it isn’t?”

“No, I don’t believe so. I don’t think Loki would have let me take him back if he’d known he was pregnant. I only caught him because he was nearly half dead.”

“Unless this was all planned?” Natasha suggested, but Thor shook his head determinedly.

“No, it wouldn’t make sense. Loki was cold to us all, including the father. He just became more distant.”

It was silent for a few seconds, everyone glancing at the next, before Tony jerked his head and made an irritable sound. “Well, who is it? Or is that level Coulson-classified?”

Thor leaned back from their big eyes and increasingly hungry interest. Loki would be angry if he knew Thor had told the Avengers, just imagining his snarling face made him wince. “I do not know if you’ll know him. He is of a race called elves. Earth’s elves, descendants of the Ljósálfar, elves of one of the Nine Realms. Prince Nuada.”

“Prince?” Steve repeated.

Natasha pulled her lips and her brows, impressed. “Loki sure aims high.”

“Go hard or go home. What was that name, Thor? Noo- _uda_?” Tony asked as he pulled out a digital pad, gliding his fingers lightening fast over it.

“Yes. Why?”

“Just gonna check some files.” 

“I’ve never heard of him.” Natasha thought back to all the files she had read over the years. She gestured her glass at Thor to get his attention. “Has he caused Earth any troubles?”

“I believe so, yes. I think that is why Loki found a liking to him. He didn’t strike me as malicious but I don’t doubt the swiftness of his blade. He is a warrior. But that also worries me. Should he come to Asgard and find Loki in chains I’ll have two tempers to try keep down.” Thor knew Nuada cared for Loki, he had seen it in his eyes, the way he moved around Loki, the tone of his voice, and the hurt as well when Loki rejected him too. Nuada was not an enemy, but if he cared for Loki it might alarm Odin, and Loki couldn't afford another cross to his list.

Steve looked up abruptly. “Chains? You’re still keeping him in chains while he’s pregnant?”

Thor shook his head quickly. “No, of course not. But if we were to have an official summons Loki will be brought up and chains will be necessary for the public and for his status. He’s not weak, he’s still very much powerful.”

Steve glanced around, unsure if he was being too sympathetic but unable to help it. “Still seems a little harsh.”

“Pregnant and in chains? Sounds like a bad porno.” Natasha snorted.

“I was not expecting that.” Tony said, staring down at his pad. Three heads leaned over curiously, so he spread the files and imagery he found around the holoscreens placed around. He pointed up at the pale male that appeared most often. “This is him?”

Thor looked surprised and gawked around with the other two. “Yes, this is him. Where did you get these?”

“Well, they’re not from S.H.I.E.L.D, but they are on the universal database.” Tony muttered vaguely. They watched a few silent videos simultaneously of Nuada, lips pulling as they grew impressed and more interested. “Wow, he looks pretty bad ass.”

On the one screen played a disaster scene that happened in what was definitely New York. A gigantic green plant looking creature destroying the buildings it surrounded, throwing cars and ruining everything around it. Steve looked alarmed and pointed a finger at it. “What the hell is that?” 

Staring in the opposite direction Tony gave a shrug of surrender and waved his glass at a few of the screens, alcohol sloshing onto the counter top. “Okay, you’re all thinking it, but I’ll say it. He’s hot. He is _hot_ -! I don’t blame Loki at all.”

“The BPRD?” Natasha squinted as the system ran through Nuada’s files, brandishing the words BPRD.

“You know them?” Steve asked.

“I’ve seen their name around but never on anything assigned to us. I figured it was a small operation within S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“Well, Coulson should know?” Tony suggested. Thor looked at him sharply.

“No. Please. If Nuada is wanted by this operation then I will have more trouble finding him if he goes into hiding. I can’t take that risk.”

“Okay, okay, chillax. We’ll keep it to ourselves. Right?”

“Yes?” Steve said, unsurely.

Natasha shrugged. “Sure. He can’t be that dangerous if no one has asked us to bring him in.”

Gratitude waved off of Thor. He couldn't have made better friends. “Thank you, friends. I must be off again. Father grows restless. …And Loki grows large.” he got up, extremely reluctant to leave the comfort of Tony's home. His searching had been fruitless. Nuada's home had been empty each time and no one in the Troll market wanted to tell him anything. Nuada was revered and they were loyal. Thor was no longer a foolish boy to whip out Mjolnir for everything, so he had to endure the long way. And Blade...well no one knew him at all, it was like searching for a ghost. But he had a last back up plan which he was about to get to—he just didn't want to go should it fail too.

His body language must have told a story. Tony shrugged softly, looking as serious as he could get. “Do you need help?”

“I do not wish to burden you further, I’ve already weighed you with my words.”

“Nah, I can spare an hour or two. Guys?”

Already on her feet, Natasha smiled, knowing Tony was as curious as he was genuine. “Yeah, sounds like a plan.”

Steve nodded, always ready to help out. “Do we have any leads?”

“A few, but there is one I must follow myself, but we can meet up again in an hour or so.”

Tony downed his last drink and patted Thor comfortingly on the shoulder. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s find daddy.”

 

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

An hour later found Thor at his destination. He'd dropped off the agents at the Troll Market, while he chose to follow another trail. Word had it that Nuada was back in the area, but Thor also knew the whereabouts of Blade. He decided to tackle Blade and leave Nuada to his friends, but only because he hadn't told them about Blade. He still didn't know what Loki had been thinking, and it just made him more determined to help him.

The current location of the hunter was near the south docks where the ships came and went. It was easy to find but not very homely, even Nuada's home showed more welcome. Thor approached carefully and wandered around as softly as he was able to until he found a way in without breaking anything. It had just turned evening and the sun was setting. He had learnt very little of these vampire creatures, knowing only they were allergic to the light of the sun and fed off the blood of humans. Surely Blade would be rising soon? 

Descending, Thor held mjolnir loosely at his side. He entered into what looked like a large foyer, several pathways connected and leading around the base. There was technology in it but nothing as grand as Tony's, and to Thor's relief, a man.

He cleared his throat to announce himself and his benevolence, and smiled as best he could when the male swirled in surprised. Before Thor could open his mouth the man squinted at him, not looking as alarmed as Thor expected. “Is it Halloween already? You’re a little old to Trick or Treat, aren’t you?”

“Greetings. I am Thor, I mean you no harm. I am looking for the one called Blade.”

Now the male showed signs of alarm, but covered them well with an exaggerated furrow of his eyes. His beard was no where as long as Thor's but he brushed it, making Thor smile a little easier. “Are you now? Well…you’re looking at him.”

Thor laughed, but kept it short and smiled apologetically. “I have seen Blade before.” he held out his hands to show he poses no threat.

The man deflated. “Shit. Okay, well, I’m Hannibal King, Blade’s pal. Who are you and what do you want?”

“I need to speak with him concerning my brother.”

“And that is…?”

“…Loki.”

King jumped, making Thor jump in return. “Loki?! Is he back?” he cried, now thrice as alarmed as before.

Thor was about to hold a hand out and explain that Loki was locked away and could do no harm, when a thought struck him painfully in the chest. “You know Loki?” he asked carefully, wondering just how many men Loki had _gone through_ to prove a point. 

“Yeah, he almost killed me.” King said, offending, pointing at his neck.

Thor relaxed visibly. He held a hand out anyway. “I apologize, Loki is like that I’m afraid.”

“So what? Is back?” King asked, then moved his jaw around with a shrewd look. “Whoa wait, if you’re his brother—”

Thor cut in immediately. “I bare no ill will. I am not an enemy.”

“Then what do you want?” a deep voice asked from behind Thor.

King sighed in relief and gestured to Thor who turned to greet Blade. “Blade! That psycho’s brother is here.”

Blade sniffed and walked forward, hands behind his back, armour covering his body. He reminded Thor so much of a proper warrior, both he and Nuada would have made excellent Asgardian warriors. Even Rogers would. Thor was suddenly glad Odin did not usually covert things for selfish greed and power. Besides maybe…Loki…

“Thor.”

“Blade. Please, we need to talk.” Thor started, and leaned into him to speak softer. He didn't know what King knew about Loki but he didn’t want word to spread of Loki's situation.

A heavy brow rose and Thor could almost see the glint in Blade's eyes behind his dark shades. “If you came here tell me that devil escaped your clutches I swear I will not hold back from blowing his head off.”

“No, no, Loki is in his cell, he will not be escaping this time. But there is a delicate matter I must discuss with you.” Thor peeked over his shoulder at King who was failing at acting like he wasn't listening in. “In private.”

“Does it concern _him_?” Blade growled, and Thor almost feared to answer.

“Yes.”

“Then how the fuck could it be delicate?” Blade barked. Thor winced and glanced back at King who was counting imaginary sheep and looking incredibly guilty. Blade made a noise in the back of his throat to regain Thor's attention. “I don’t have all afternoon, I have hunting to do.”

“ _We_. Don’t forget the ‘we’.” King called, turning away when Blade glared at him.

Thor tried his best not to be rude. “I’m sorry, but this can’t wait. I had much trouble finding you, and I'm having even harder trouble finding Prince Nuada.”

“I’ve done a great deal of meditating to move on with this bullshit, why are you bringing this up?”

“Please, we must speak.”

“Then speak.” Blade ordered, then shot a look at the back of King's head. “King, leave us.”

Said man's shoulders slumped and he turned around. “Aw, come on, dude.” But there was no changing Blade's mind. He groaned and headed down one of the corridors, pointing a finger at Blade as he walked sideways. “Fine. But I expect to hear about it.” 

When the human was gone Thor turned back to Blade and sighed. “Thank you.”

“What is it?” Blade asked, never relaxing his controlled posture.

Thor hesitated. He didn't bother to plan how he would get across his thoughts because no amount of planning would make it any less difficult. It took all he had not to wince or show strong emotion when speaking. “…I know you had intimacy with Loki—”

Blade suddenly moved, but only one hand, and held out two fingers warningly. “If you’ve come here to suggest I raped him—”

“No, no! No.” Thor swallowed with extreme difficultly, “No, I…I am aware of Loki’s manipulation of your weakness, I know what you are. It’s just that…your actions together might have…p-produced a….permanent…result.” He was sure his face was red. 

Blade tilted his head and gave an apathetic shrug. “Which is?”

“…Loki is going to have a baby.”

**XxXxXxXxXxXx**

In the bustle of the Troll Market, Steve couldn’t keep his eyes in one place. He was glad Thor suggested they wore inconspicuous clothing, his stars and stripes would have looked completely ridiculous down here, and there weren’t even _people_ here. Weird creatures that Steve had only imagined up in nightmares as a child prowled left to right. They were here, and they were grocery shopping.

“I am trying my best not to stare.” He said as Natasha nudged his arm. They both wore black hooded outfits, Natasha brought a pair of shades with her. Thor had assured them that humans were not targeted as enemies here, but they best keep a low profile anyway. Besides, it was Nuada who would be the biggest threat. Thor was sure out of all the Avengers Steve and Natasha could handle him, mostly because they could access a situation before reacting without thinking. He sent Tony off on another trail, leaving them to communicate via ear phones. 

Natasha reached up and patted his shoulder. “Just keep looking big and tough, you’ll be okay.” She looked around, trying herself not to stare, and spoke to Tony who was flying around a few miles off. “Stark, anything on your side?”

 _“Nope, this guy might not even be on Earth.”_ Tony replied.

Hoping for Thor’s sake that was false, the pair walked around for a bit before reaching a cross roads. Natasha pulled a face that said they both knew what would happen. “Keep left, I’ll take the right.”

Steve tapped his ear piece. “Shout if you need me.”

Smiling, Natasha patted his cheek and turned away, heading down her side. She did appreciate the guys’ concern over her but she really wasn’t fragile. At least, if you don’t count monsters and aliens. And now she was searching for an elf. 

If she wasn’t so trained, Natasha was sure she’d have lost the plot twenty minutes ago. She could accept aliens, but trolls and fairy folk? And a literal _Troll Market_? The place lived up to its name and she could definitely see Loki prancing about in here. She even saw some shrunken heads and felt the urge to get one for Clint, hide it in his favourite rafters. Tony would have passed out with a panic attack for sure, but Steve seemed to be doing okay. Every few minutes they gave a brief report of whatever was going on down there, but there was nothing significant to pick on. 

But luck was on Thor’s side, and Natasha froze when she locked onto her target. She really and truly hadn’t expected to find the man but there he was, in the flesh. She’d never seen anyone like him but that only made it easier to keep him in site. But obviously she stuck out as well, for he saw her too. They shared a brief moment of eye contact before his expression darkened and he slunk away behind the moving bodies.

Instantly she was moving and slipping through the bodies too. She was fast and no one saw or felt her go through, but she was not gifted with height to see over their heads. Still she pushed on, but the elf seemed as agile as she was and left no gaps in the crowd for her to judge his path by. But she knew he was luring her as he made himself visible for a second before disappearing again, until finally she stepped into a dead end.

There was no one in there.

But it was more than obvious he was behind her, and her training kicked in like an inborn instinct as he attacked. Ducking to the left she just missed his hand, and turning quickly she struck out with her boot. She caught him in the side but he had expected it and grabbed onto her foot. Swiftly she lifted the other and swung it at his head, but he was faster and lifted her up to duck beneath the kick and let her land behind him.

She up on her feet in a second and took up a defensive stance. Her glasses had flown off at some point and her hood fell back, revealing her very human face, in comparison to his pasty lined one. 

The plan wasn’t to piss off the elf _prince_ , or get herself killed, but she saw the footage and his combat skills were stunning, almost beautiful. And he lived up to it. Maybe just one playful battle wouldn’t hurt. 

Tilting his head, Nuada glanced over the human female. He took note of her trained stance, her proper posture, and her well defined body. If it weren’t so rare in this day and age for the humans he’d say she was a warrior. Her stunning red hair, full lips, thick thighs and strong fists, boasting both beauty and power.

“You are unusually skilled for an Earthling woman.” He said, smiling a little. He glanced back up at her red hair as a recollection dawned on him.

“Intimidated?” she asked with a smile of her own.

“Impressed.” He corrected. Then he lashed out with little warning. While his hatred for humans had not faded, he didn’t go around slaughtering them on the streets either. That was simply barbaric and dishonourable. A war was respectable, at the very least. And while he knew maybe he was being a little hard on one little human woman, he could guess who she was from the tales of an new friend, and she was not to be underestimated.

Luckily for both she was ready for his attack and dodged it easily, swivelling around and throwing her own fist. Quickly it became an even match and Nuada found himself laughing at the thrill of it. It had been a while since he’d had a partner to spar with, and even longer since he’d sparred with a woman. If he _really_ wanted to he could snap her neck in a heartbeat, but she was actually good enough to make him doubt that fact. They moved like liquid, both too fast to land a blow on the other. Natasha wasn’t a stranger to physical beatings and managed to handle whatever he dealt, but she grit her teeth when it was evident her own blows did little but jolt him.

The sounds of their battle carried through her ear piece of both Tony and Steve realised she was in a physical confrontation. Tony could do little being miles away, but directed Steve as best he using his custom tracking system. Steve hurried through the pathways, apologizing as he knocked more than a dozen _people_ out the way in his panic. 

Crying out, Natasha swung her boot it a beautifully practiced air kick, just missing his face by centimetres and ducked as she landed from his return swing. But he was incredibly fast and retracted it the way it came, knocking her to the floor. She landed her hands and knees and winced at the burn that sprung on her palms, and before she could shoot up he delivered a shot her to side, knocking her over. Whether it was deliberate or not, his boot didn’t collide with her ribs, easing the pain exponentially, and he stood over her, smiling broadly as if she was fascinating.

Unable to help herself, Natasha grunted out a pained chuckle at the thought of Loki being taken by this man. She could only imagine Loki being manhandled and ravished to the point of pregnancy, it was both extremely hilarious and asinine. And yet true, unless Thor was lying, or being deceived. She winced at the slight throb in her stomach but stayed down, bringing her arms up to cross over and shield her body that lay vulnerable should he feel sadistic and bring down his boot. 

Unsure of exactly what to do with her, Nuada was about to nudge her patronizingly with his foot for an idea when a large figure entered through the small alleyway. He backed up a good few steps and prepared himself for another confrontation, but the man rushing forward was holding his hands out, standing in front of the woman defensively.

“Wait! We’re here on Thor’s behalf!” the blond man called loudly enough for the gods to hear. 

Nuada’s stance softened, and he watched as the man asked she woman if she was alright, to which she confirmed before she sat up. “Thor?” he asked.

“Yes, Loki’s brother.” Steve said as he reached down an arm to help Natasha up, but never taking his eyes off the elf.

Looking between them, Nuada smiled and stood up straight. “…You’re the solider out of time.” He said, as he bent to pick up his discarded lance. The solider male glanced at it suspiciously, but he put it behind his back pointedly.

On their ear pieces Tony made a noise. _Holy shit, how’d he know that?”_

“Loki called me that.” Steve acknowledged. 

The name sent flutters into his chest, and Nuada nodded. “Indeed he did. You must be the Black Widow. The Avengers.”

Dusting off her clothes Natasha raised a brow at him. “You know of us? Loki told you about us?”

“Where is the rest? Loki mentioned more.”

 _“Mention me.”_ Tony said over the line.

Steve ignored him, and carefully approached Nuada who looked ready to strike even as he lolled his head loosely to the side. “Thor is looking for you. He really needs to speak to you.”

“Is it Loki?” Nuada asked, becoming serious. It was the only thing he and Thor had in common, and he was blessed with a very intuitive nature.

“Yes.” Steve said carefully.

Nuada tensed up again, moving the sceptre from side to side, but he looked more concerned than blood thirsty. “Is he in trouble?”

The two Avengers shared a look. “I’m not sure. You know he’s in prison, right?”

“Yes, but what is changing now that Thor must speak to me about?”

At a loss of coherent explanations Steve mouthed uselessly for a moment. “Um…he’ll explain it.” 

Nuada’s eyes narrowed. “You know of it?”

“Yes—”

Before they could blink Nuada had the blade of the lance digging into Steve’s throat right over his pulse. He grit his teeth threateningly and dug in the blade for a warning. “Then tell me.”

Steve grit his own teeth, but didn’t show any pain, or intimidation. His expression darkened and he replied as calmly as he could. “It’s not my place. Thor will tell you as soon as he returns.”

When Nuada failed to move away Natasha stepped into his line of sight, making him falter slightly. “Loki isn’t harmed, but he might be in danger. As much as we don’t like him we’re down here sticking out our necks for him and Thor. I heard you don’t like humans but you could show us _some_ respect. I can bet Loki told you all about us but believe it or not we’re not the bad guys, he is. And whether you are too stands to be seen.”

She spoke true words, and already knowing from Loki the solider didn’t have an evil bone in his body, Nuada retreated. “Where is Thor?”

_“Invite him to Stark Tower, we’ll meet there.”_

“He’s out looking for you, he’ll meet us at our base.” Steve said, and saw the instant reluctance. He tried to look as comforting as he could to the man that almost slit his jugular. This was for Thor after all. “It’s safe, we’ll get in a secret way. I give you my word no one will harm you.”

Nuada smirked lightly, but nodded in respect to his words. “I will hold you to that, or you’ll both fall with me.”

**XxXxXxXxXx**

“…Loki is going to have a baby.” 

As if saying those words weren't hard enough, Blade adopted the likeliness of a statue and stared blankly through is glasses. Growing jittery for a reaction Thor fidgeted. “…Blade?” He waved his hands in front of the man's face. “Did you hear me? I know it’s confusing, but Loki isn’t human. He conceived a child—”

“It isn’t mine.” Blade said, suddenly.

Thor hesitated a moment before replying. “…I wish I could believe that. But I cannot rule you out until I know for sure.”

“It isn’t mine.” Blade repeated, a little harder than last time.

Thor sighed through his nose. “Look, I don’t like this anymore than you do and I am sorry Loki got his clutches on you but—”

“Dumbass, it _can’t_ be mine.” This time Blade stepped away, relaxing his shoulders and giving Thor an impatient look. The god of thunder frowned, confused, but not yet daring to be relieved.

“…Why not?”

Blade took off his glasses with a sigh, glancing down the corridor King disappeared down before speaking. “I am sterile. I had an operation a few years back. I don’t need that kind of complication in my life. It's a weakness enemies seek out.”

“You’re…you can’t produce?” Thor asked in shock.

“You say you know what I am. Why would I want to pass this curse onto a child? I can never have a family, so I eliminated any chance of having one. Sorry, but it’s not mine.”

Thor was shocked. He had no idea how anyone could purposely make themselves sterile, but Blade had a reason, and so did all else who practiced such a thing. He swallowed and looked around as he tried to wrap his head around the development. “…Okay, I suppose that is possible. I suppose the other is more likely anyway.”

Snorting, Blade folded his arms, his mouth turning into a small sneer when he thought about Loki's shape shifting abilities. “Besides, I don’t recall him being a woman during any chances of conception.” He had regained his memories from the time Loki had invoked his primal vampiric nature, they were cloudy at first. But quickly he started to have dreams and experience flash backs—though most of it was nightmares. Bloodthirsty, out of control, completely wild. 

Thor felt his cheeks heat again and he hoped it wasn't noticeable under his facial hair. “He wouldn’t have to, Loki is different.”

“Am I safe to guess the prince is the second suspect?” 

“Yes. But I can’t find him.”

“I wish I could help, but I didn’t keep tabs.”

“It’s alright, I have some friend’s helping.” Thor gave a tiny smile. “I’m sorry for intruding this way. And again, I am sorry for the trouble Loki caused.”

“What do you want with the father of the kid?” Blade asked out of curiosity.

“He has to face our father. We need to know if he is friend or foe to our home, and what his involvement will be.”

“Loki is in prison, isn’t he?” Blade gave Thor a stern look, one that said 'he'd better be, for his own safety'.

“Yes?” Thor said, feeling unsure purely from Blade's scrutiny.

“Then what does it matter?” Blade snapped, “He’s a criminal—he’s a fucking psychopath. So what if he’s pregnant and you find the daddy? Are you going to condemn him for falling prey to Loki’s witchery?”

“I hope to have his co-operation.” Thor murmured softly. He knew he couldn't defend Loki for everything he'd done, but he still hated when people prosecuted him. He looked around, feeling tense, and gave Blade a respectful nod. “…I will leave now. But when the child is born and it turns out to be yours, I _might_ return. Perhaps Father will have lost interest by then.”

“If it’s mine, you mine want to end it.” Blade replied, shaking his head at the shock that splattered across the blond man's face. “…What I am is a burden to live with, and with whatever the fuck your brother is can only make it into a catastrophe.”

The words were too true for Thor to argue. He didn't plan to carry that message out of this room, but it definitely made him think of the blood the child would carry. He swallowed thickly and nodded as if he agreed. “…Keep well, Blade.”

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I apologise for errors_

** Chapter 11 **

The fly back to Stark Towers was one of mixed feelings. Thor was relieved that at least one man was ruled out, and frankly the more frightening one, what with his blood-feeding features. That meant that the elf prince Nuada was the father of the unborn child. During their brief contact a few months back Thor had a positive opinion of Nuada. He was strong willed and possessed leadership qualities. He was a magnificent warrior that stuck by morals of honour and meaningful deeds. While Thor didn't agree at all with the man's attempt on the humans, he _did_ understand his reasoning, and in so he understood why Loki grew attracted to him. Obviously Loki felt he had someone to relate to, and Thor acknowledged that out of anyone Loki could have met, Nuada was better than them all. 

He thought about Blade's words on the child and shivered at the thought of Loki having to feed the child his blood instead of the breast as most races did. Then again, did Jotuns feed babes on the breast? He'd never seen or heard of it, but then he'd only ever gone looking for battle, mothers and children would be hidden away in his presence. There could have been innocents who he killed in his visits to Jötunheimr, children who got hit by stray weapons and debris, mothers who were fleeing but were killed anyway. He had been a monster to them, and he regretted it.

Landing on Stark's runway, Thor gave a great sigh and pondered on a huge mug of those Midgardian drinks called hot chocolate, with those squishy artificial cylinder foods to melt into them. As tempting a real drink was, he felt oddly cold inside and he need something to settle his inners, not make them clench.

He strode into Stark's livingroom and went straight to the kitchen where he placed Mjölnir on the counter.

“ _Good evening, Thor, I will inform Mr. Stark that you have returned._ ”

Thor smiled, despite knowing JARVIS was an artificial life form, and nodded his thanks tiredly to wherever the AI was speaking from at the moment. “Thank you, Jarvis.”

The god didn't even get a moment to sit down and relax before Tony barged in, making Thor jump.

“Thunderbuns, 'bout time you got back.”

“Nuada must be the father.” Thor blurted immediately, making Tony trip to a halt.

The brunet had been on his way to the coffee maker, and took a step back from Thor’s peripheral vision, resisting looking over his shoulder. “What?”

“I tracked down the other man, he isn't able to produce. It has to be Nuada.” Thor said, wishing Tony would just go to the coffee maker and fill a bucket for him. The shock in his eyes was making HIM antsier.

Blinking his eyes once in an exaggerated matter Tony raised his hands. “Whoa wait, ' _other man_ '? You didn't say anything about there being another man?”

Thor stared at him for a moment before remembering he'd left Blade out. He groaned and gave a useless shrug and a grunt, implying that he _so_ wasn't up to elaborating. Tony stood with his jaw slack, a hundred questions on his tongue, but none of them slipped out as Nuada made his presence known from the corridor, having initially been following Tony, but stopped when he heard Thor's first words.

“Father?” Nuada said, making Tony jump and look sharply between the two non-human men.

Thor stumbled up to his feet in a second, “Nuada,” he said in relief, “They found you. We must speak.” 

That was not the way Thor had planned on telling Nuada, not that he _had_ a plan, but Nuada wore the strangest expression and Thor grew nervous. He glanced at Tony to hint for privacy, already feeling as if his armour weighed a ton.

Tony caught on quick and gave a brief nod, eyeing them both individually. “Alright. Just try not get into a battle and trash the place. JARVIS will be keeping an eye out.”

The moment Tony was a good distance away Nuada hurried forward with a tight expression. “ _Speak_.” he hissed as Thor met him half way.

“Loki is pregnant.” Thor blurted, holding his hands up. “I know it sounds unbelievable but—”

“Jotun.” Nuada cut in, staring off into his memories.

Thor faltered and frowned, then leaned back in uncertainty. “...You know what he is?”

“Yes, of course. We shared many secrets.”

Jealousy bubbled inside Thor's chest but he quickly turned it to anger. He couldn’t help passing it on, the stress was killing him. “Then why didn't you take care for a matter like this!”

“I assumed _he_ was! Loki knew what he was, we spoke of it! I thought he would know to take precautions.” Nuada said hurriedly. 

“Don't blame this all on him—”

“I'm not!” Nuada barked, then deflated slightly when his voice echoed obnoxiously through the room. He exhaled softly to calm himself, but he was not venting out anger or frustration. He was just unsure. Thor looked as unsure as he did and with both their prides in one room hovering on the topic of Loki it was a recipe for disaster. Thor was not an enemy, and Nuada didn't want to make one of him.

“My heart is speeding like never before. This is just as much my doing. I should have asked, but Loki never hesitated once, he never drew doubt. I thought he had sorted a solution and there was no need to be concerned, _if_ there was reason to be concerned.”

With troubled eyes Thor stared down into Nuada's, trying to weed out deception. “Well, there was.” he stated uneasily.

The room enjoyed a few peaceful moments as the men settled into a calm air. Nuada shifted and his face visibly softened. “...Is he angry?”

“No.” Thor answered faster than he wanted to, but the concern written over the other prince's face made it hard to be angry with him. “No...But mother says he is cold and won't admit to being scared. He won't hold a conversation with me or tell me anything.”

“When did you-? When did he—?”

“Our gatekeeper, Heimdall, he-he sees all. He gazed upon Loki the moment Loki realised he was growing. That was about three months ago. I have been searching for you.”

Expression twitching faster with emotion than Thor could keep up with, Nuada wetted his lips, looking as if he wasn't sure what to say. “...Loki must be large then.”

“I believe he is. I haven't seen him since.” Thor admitted sadly, but he was not ready for the scathing glare from Nuada.

“Why not?” he demanded angrily. 

Thor pointed a finger at himself, brows shooting to his hair line. “He just chases me away. He will only see Mother, and Father has limited her visiting.”

Scowling, Nuada turned away and began to pace as the green-eyed hellion invaded his thoughts. Not a day went by that he didn't think about him, even if it was just briefly. He knew Loki had gone back to a cell but being pregnant in a cell? It made his skin crawl.

“You said you tracked down the other, you were talking about that blood drinker, Blade.” he asked, pacing and watching the floor as if searching for something that could pop out anywhere.

“Yes, Blade. But it can't be him, he was made sterile many years ago. Unless Loki has had other partners it's likely you are the father.”

Suddenly Nuada stopped, and turned slightly to shoot Thor a cautious gaze. “...And what is your plan for the father?”

Thor held up his hands for what felt like the millionth time. “I am not here to seize you. My father, Odin, just wishes to hear from you if you are a friend to Asgard or not, and what your involvement will be in the child's life.” It pained Thor to be discussing this, it honestly did, but when did Loki ever _not_ cause him pain.

“The child's life...” Nuada repeated softly, fire started to burn higher in his eyes. “What life is there to be had in a cage? Are you still keeping Loki in confinement?”

“Yes, being pregnant doesn't wash away his crimes. He will not part with the child either, he is determined to have it in his cell.”

“And you will allow that? You will have that?” Nuada asked with a bite to his tone, stalking up to Thor. Even though Thor was much taller and broader Nuada managed to look none the less threatening compared to him. “Have him bare a babe in a gaol, surrounded by the scum of Asgard who will look upon him and—”

“That is not what I want! But what must we do? Loki must carry out his sentence but I need your help to convince my father to allow Loki a little extra rope, at the very least for the child's sake. If he sees the honour and status you hold he might look upon Loki easier.”

“How so?”

“My mother has suggested moving Loki to his bedroom chambers, where he can remain confined. He will not be allowed to leave it, but he will have privacy and more room for him and the child. That way mother and the healers can come and go more easily, they can monitor them better.” And himself, but he didn't dare mention it. Loki would probably kick him out but he wanted Loki to know he cared, that's all he seemed to be trying to do these days.

Stepping back, panting just slightly from anger, Nuada nodded curtly. “I should hope so.”

“Then will you return to Asgard with me?” Thor asked hopefully, but Nuada looked doubtful. 

“...I will not go there to be judged by the king. I respect his title but my relationship with Loki is our own. I can not be expected to stand back and watch Loki grow in chains. If he bears my heir I can claim him as my own and take him away—”

Thor shook his head immediately, trying not to let the term 'my own' get to him. “Father will never allow that. He won't. He is determined to make Loki pay for what he has done.” 

Smiling sourly, Nuada folded his arms with a superior air. “I told you to let me take him away. Did I not? I told you he'd be better off.”

“I didn't know this would transpire.” Thor grunted in aggravation with a prod to his temples. He rubbed in a circular motion for a few seconds, watching Nuada's feet. “Father no longer speaks of Loki as a prince of Asgard—”

“It makes no difference. If anything I deserve him more now that he is disowned. We're created a union of the blood and that already has created ties stronger than your father adopting him. ...Loki is of Bethmoora now.”

It sounded as if Nuada was tempting him to disagree, but he had to. “Nuada, Father won't see it that way. ...He saved Loki as a babe. If it weren't for him Loki would be dead. He raised Loki as his own son, as a prince—as far as he is concerned, Loki owes him a great debt.”

“Loki is Jötunheimr’s lost prince. He is disowned by Odin and he is shunned by Asgard, and I can imagine he’d be hunted on Jötunheimr for killing his own father. Would it not be a lift of a burden for all if I were to remove him?”

“I'm afraid this is a debate you will have to wage with the Allfather.”

“And what of you?” Nuada asked suddenly, making Thor double take at the shrewd tone. “What do you want? I know you love Loki, and yet you reveal nothing of it now.”

Thor chewed the inside of his bottom lip irritably and resisted the urge to pace as Nuada had done. “...Loki will never love me. Loki despises me. And I am almost certain he'll run off with you this time if given the chance.” And that was Thor's weakness, loving Loki more than himself. He loved Loki enough to offer him this.

Despite what Thor expected, Nuada didn't smirk or pass a smug comment. His face fell along with Thor's and he shook his head gently. “...You are wrong, prince. Loki loves you very much. You were all he spoke about when his mind was left to wander. It's because he loves you so that he despises you.”

Chewing down the hope, Thor shrugged, feeling like a big child. “Maybe so, but he will never give me his heart now. And all I want now is to keep his heart safe. Even if it means trusting it in your hands.”

Nuada's heart skipped a beat, but he kept his face stoic. “...Your father... It doesn't sound like he is going to hand Loki over if he thinks Loki will have it easy.”

“No, no he won't.”

Pulling a face Thor was sure Loki would giggle at, Nuada wagged a finger. “Wait, you confuse me. What is your father hoping to find? A man to kneel at his feet and apologize? Or a man who will stand at his level and disown Loki as well?”

Thor hesitated as the dread swam through him like a sickness, making his stomach twist. “...I fear the latter. He has no remorse left for Loki.”

“I will not come to Asgard to spit in Loki's face.” Nuada said firmly. He would not, no matter who he was facing. Odin was well respected in the histories even to elves but it was obvious he was at fault in Loki’s doing as well. He brought Loki up with a strict and racist Asgardian mentality, with no regard to the chance that Loki might find out he was part of the very people he had always treated like scum. 

Odin was an old fool, not just a great king.

“No, I know. I don't want that.” Thor said. He opened his mouth to speak again, but he didn’t know what else to say. Nuada raised a brow, waiting, but when nothing surfaced Thor growled and finally let himself snap. He grabbed his hair and broke into a pace. “I don't know! I don’t want Loki to rot in that cell but if you come to Asgard father will surely expect something out of you. Service, apology, a bride price—I don't know. He says little but I see the coldness of his eyes.” He halted abruptly and stared at the wall, looking lost. “I am scared for my brother.”

Nuada was glad he got meet Thor after he’d matured. The Thor Loki had spoken of constantly was not this man, and honestly Nuada would have beaten him to sense if he’d met him before. But this Thor was a kind, tolerant and heartfelt man. Everyone was young and arrogant once, it was just unfortunate Loki grew sour the same time Thor grew up, and failed to see the greatness his brother had become. He could see the love in Thor’s eyes for Loki, but with Odin around and everything that had happened it was unlikely he could be with Loki. And with his unintentional bond with Loki Nuada had to play his part. Thor clearly had no intentions of pursuing Loki, he just wanted him safe, and he was here asking Nuada to help…

How could he not? “...Then I will come to Asgard and appeal for rights to Loki. ...And my child.”

Thor didn’t know if to smile or shudder, and continued to pace worriedly. He rubbed his palms up and down his face, praying Heimdall wasn’t watching them should Odin inquire. “On what grounds? How will you argue for that? I highly doubt Father will support you making Loki a queen to your title. In fact he might completely forbid it.”

“I highly doubt Loki will accept the role of being my queen in any case. Loki does not want to be seen as below anyone, myself included.”

“He will have to if that is his only way out. He is a prisoner it cannot get much worse.” 

“I don't wish to make an enemy of you or your people.”

“Yes, please, we must not do that.”

The two princes stared at one another worriedly. Nuada looked away after a moment of internal debating and wiped a hand over his mouth at the idea that occurred to him. “...I might have a way of convincing him.”

 

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

He was having a baby.

Not literally at the moment, but Loki found himself having trouble acknowledging it. He did not want to be like Odin and Laufey, terrible fathers they were, but he _was_ scared despite insisting to Frigga and half the forward prison that he wasn’t. Becoming a father sounded interesting enough despite having little urge to claim a woman, but being a mother? The responsibly and commitment was so much more. He suddenly respected women a great deal more—this was _frightening_. 

Thor was searching for Nuada. Loki found, in surprise, that the thought brought him comfort beneath his complaining. He _knew_ Nuada wouldn’t laugh or be disgusted, in fact he felt Nuada would comfort him…but would Nuada be against this? Nuada was a free spirit, he roamed a lot and showed no signs or longing for a partner and young of his own. But that was a silly worry, Nuada wouldn’t have to worry about the child or him, they were here on Asgard and Odin wasn’t about to let them go. 

Even if Thor brought Nuada to Asgard what could Nuada do? Say sorry to Odin and suggest a baby name, possibly an ancestor, before bidding them farewell and departing? Part of Loki fantasized that Nuada would storm in, lance gleaming and slay them all, and save him from the cell and take him away. But he only thought about that just before he fell asleep, finally brave enough to trace his fingers over the tight skin over his stomach. It wouldn’t happen of course, Nuada was just one man, and Loki had not been very nice to him the last time he was on Midgard. 

But Loki would rather have Nuada come to Asgard and say a final goodbye than Thor returning with Blade. He highly _highly_ doubted Blade would come here, no matter who demanded so, but it still got shivers running down Loki’s spine thinking about him. If Nuada hadn’t trusted Thor and helped him seek out Loki, he would have been dead. Blade didn’t look as if he could have failed at that. 

That brought another worry—what if the child was Blade’s? Asgardians knew nothing of vampires, and while Loki knew the basics of children, how the fuck did one raise a half vampire half Jotun child? The Asgardians would think it some demon that crawled out of Hel— _through_ Loki. It was almost amusing, and the thought made Loki cackle maniacally to himself one night, disturbing his neighbouring inmates and the guards. 

Sleep became a mission as the worries ate away at him along with the being nestled snugly inside his body. But even from afar, after being banned from his side, Frigga still made an effort. She sent the servant girls with hidden sugary treats for him, and it was just enough to keep him from becoming gaunt as the child took from him to grow itself. He regretted being callous to her and made sure his thanks were known, savouring the treats and stressing at the same time about the child being half vampiric and how the fuck he’d feed it once it was birthed. But then again, how did Jotuns feed their young? He hated Odin so much right now. To ask for help and questions would be humiliating and showing weakness, but the days grew closer and he was at a huge loss. 

Nuada would know what to do…

 

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXXxXxXx**

Getting Nuada to Asgard was easier than Thor allowed himself to hope, but it was much easier compared to the task ahead. After stuffing his face with pizza to calm his nerves, of which Nuada rejected in disgust, Thor heartily thanked the Avengers and promised to return soon as he could for a visit, once Loki’s situation was settled. Heimdall beamed them up to Asgard straight from the runway on Stark Tower and greeted them with a respectful tilt of his head.

“Princes.”

“Heimdall, how is father?” Thor asked a little too quickly. Nuada was looking around hungrily, this having been his first time on the Bifrost to Asgard. 

Heimdall raised a slight brow. “He will not be any better should your trickery be revealed.”

Thor pulled a face, but patted Nuada who stiffened visibly. “Please, do not tell him. If he doesn't ask, you needn't say. Please, Heimdall.”

“Very well. But should he ask, I cannot disobey. Please understand that.”

Thor smiled warmly. “We do, thank you.”

With nods the princes departed and Thor led the way up to the palace. He took Nuada the quick way around where only allocated members of Asgard were allowed to roam. The warriors and members of the palace alike greeted Thor and his company as they went along, and Thor felt a very odd sense of pride in Loki was he watched Nuada greet back respectfully and without a moment’s hesitance, just like an honourable prince would.

Maybe they could fool Odin after all.

On the throne sat Odin, just preparing to leave to supper after his kingly duties. Frigga stood besides him, about to help him up, when she saw Thor approaching. A beautiful smile spread across her face and she moved forward, but did not leave Odin’s side.

“Thor.” She said, almost in relief, and glanced at the elf besides him a moment later.

Thor didn’t think it was wise to smile at all while in his father’s presence, so he bowed in respect and gestured to Nuada. “Mother, Father, I have returned successful.”

Without a moments delay Nuada stepped forward and held out his trademark lance. He displayed it respectfully in the way of the elves, then swung it across in a symbolic heirloom manner and bowed low, his hair falling in a smooth curtail on either side of his sharp face towards the gold encrusted floor. “Allfather Odin. Allmother of Asgard. I am Prince Nuada Silverlance. Son of King Balor, sons of the Earth.”

“Welcome, Silverlance, son of Balor.” Odin grunted, giving Nuada the clear to stand up. “I have not heard of King Balor in many years.”

“...King Balor is dead.” Nuada answered after a moments pause, grief just recognisable in his words. Frigga was watching like a hawk, but at the same time like a curious child. It was only her age and experience that kept her from seeming like a foolish young girl. This was the man her son was intimate with, Nuada noted, he would expect no less from a dedicated mother.

“But you are not king?” Odin asked, making Thor sweat.

Keeping his calm, because he was intimidated by no one, Nuada inclined his head. “No. My people have faded after a dark choice my father and I brought upon the land. My people are scattered, and I live among them on Earth. I believe you call it Midgard.”

“How does Loki know you?” Odin asked. He seemed to be beating around no bush, and Thor was once more incredibly grateful Nuada was as he was. 

“I met Loki in New York's Troll Market. He'd just escaped your imprisonment. I gave him shelter and comfort.”

“And more.” Odin grunted. Frigga turned her head away with a tight lipped scowl and Thor once more felt as if his armour weighed a few Bilgesnipe. Nuada resisted smiling at a few passionate memories and nodded with a very slight bow to imply respect.

“Yes, but only what he himself sought out.”

“Has Thor told you why you have been summoned?” Odin glanced at Thor, obviously trying to find any signs of deception. Nuada answered quickly enough, knowing Thor was a bunch of nerves at the present.

“Yes. And I apologize. I had known of Loki's Jotun heritage but I did not expect a child. He led me to believe that would not be a problem.” 

“Loki lies as a first nature.” Odin said sourly, and for once everyone silently agreed.

Nuada pulled a face that said he agreed and placed a hand against his stomach. “I am ashamed to have caused this problem for you, Odin. It was never my intention.”

“But you did not think to return him to Asgard? Or Earth’s authority?” An accusation was clear, and while it made Thor shift, Nuada simply shrugged.

“I did not have such sway over him, it was not my place. But I regret now that I did not try, clearly my lapses in judgement are still a flaw of mine.”

It was then quiet. Frigga glanced at her husband to guess what was happening in his mind, but Odin sat silently, watching Nuada with his one aged eyed. Nuada stood tall and unbreakable, playing idly with his lance between his long fingers. Eventually Odin spoke again, prodding. “...You have no throne? No people?”

“My throne sits empty in Bethmoora. My father reigned from the shadows beneath the Earthling's feet, but our kingdom has long faded.”

“So you have nothing to _offer_ Loki in means of power?” Odin clearly had no care in being subtle at the moment. It made Frigga flush in shame and Thor immensely relieved he prepared Nuada before hand.

“No. All I had to offer was my hospitality, but he was not grateful for even that.” Nuada said, purposely failing to react at the brow raised by the Allfather. “Perhaps that is why Loki used what I had to offer and left, because I could not offer what he was searching for.” Nuada could see Odin searching for the threat in him. He wanted more incentive to punish Loki, the old bastard.

Nuada would not give it.

Seeming to be pleased, if you could call it that, Odin nodded. “Indeed. Then I feel it is only right I apologize in return. Loki has inconvenienced and shamed you as well, Prince Nuada. I apologize. He has turned into something dark, not the man we raised.”

Thor froze. Odin acknowledged Nuada with his title of being a prince, that was good. He glanced at Frigga who was looking worried as she watched from the side, then to Nuada who was doing a much better job at holding himself.

“But I have inconvenienced you in return, have I not? A child from Loki will not be a blessing to you.”

“Any child is a blessing.” Frigga cut in sharply, glancing at Odin and clearly daring him to reprimand her. He didn’t though, sighing heavily instead and tapping his fingers one the arm rest of his throne.

“You have, indirectly. I do not wish to punish the child but I will not be soft on Loki because of it. He must learn his lesson, just as Thor had. Just as we all must when doing wrong.”

Nuada nodded and stepped forward confidently, swinging his hands and his lance behind his back so he could stand straighter. “Indeed he should. But if I may, the child is mine too.”

Instead of biting as both Thor and Frigga immediately feared, Odin laughed. “You will have to pry it from Loki's dead fingers. He has made clear he will not be parted from it.”

“Then again, if I may, I have a proposition for you.”

Thor swallowed as inconspicuously as he could, and sent a mental apology to Frigga who pointedly tried to get his attention from her body language. He prayed silently for his father to think in Nuada’s favour, and prayed for Loki’s forgiveness.

“Very well, let us speak over dinner.” Odin suggested. Nuada bowed and gestured an arm for Odin to lead the way, to which Odin accepted and got up. On the way down Frigga couldn’t help pulling behind and hurrying to yank back Thor as well.

“Thor, I am not sure about this man.” She hissed as soon as Nuada and Odin were a fair distance ahead. Thor sighed and placed an arm around her and gave her a comforting squeeze as they followed along. Thor watched Nuada march down the guarded corridors as if he belonged there, but it reminded Thor of Loki’s walk, proud and graceful.

“It's okay mother, he is only playing into Father's hands. Please, do not tell Father what I am telling you.” He said as softly as he could should there be prying ears listening in.

Frigga leaned in close, trying to pull him to a stop so he could properly explain. “Thor? What are you planning?”

“I believe Nuada loves Loki more than Father does right now, and I believe he is an honourable man. He will appeal to take Loki as his thrall.”

“ _ **What**_?!” Thor had never realised how much he underestimated his mother’s strength until she shoved him away, looking completely outraged and murderous. He flailed slightly as her voice carried and leaned over her when he regained his balance, finding her looking more distraught than he had ever seen.

“Shh! Please, Mother. Trust us. Father will not release Loki otherwise. Nuada will care for him on Midgard. Loki will only waste away here. I trust Nuada to do this. I will personally pay visits and I will have my friends keep in contact with them.”

As the farce sunk in Frigga’s shoulders dropped and she weighed the idea. She saw the age and wisdom written all over Nuada and the thought of her Loki with someone so made her worry, but if Thor trusted the man she could too. The position of a thrall was a humiliating one, one she knew Loki would rather die than endure, but if it was just a farce to fool Odin and free Loki, she could play along. And if this Nuada was willing to play along with such confidence, against the Allfather Odin, on the risk of his own life, Frigga had hope.

She lifted a hand and brushed her palm down the side of Thor’s face, her expression soft and full of wonder. Her arrogant boy had grown into a great man. “...You are so unlike your father.”

Thor took her hand and kissed it, then held it to his chest as she looked up him in awe. “Let's be grateful for it, for Loki needs to be handled with much patience that I am only beginning to learn. A patience you have. A patience Nuada has.”

Overcome with emotion Frigga threw herself into a hug. Thor hugged her as tightly as he could without hurting her and whispered words of encouragement and strength, both wishing they could do the same for Loki who was just beneath their feet. 

 

Dinner was an odd affair. Odin and the three of them dined in a private quarters so he could speak with Nuada without spectators. Already the palace was buzzing with the news that the man possibly responsible for Loki’s pregnancy was in the palace and speaking with Odin. He was handsome and a descendant from Álfheimr, said the rumours, but they didn’t reach Loki. 

Sipping his wine as if there was nothing wrong in the world Odin watched Nuada, who if he was Thor, would have melted under the stress by now. Thor truly admired his strength. “Balor had a daughter, didn't he? It’s been a few millennia since I heard anything on his line.”

“Yes. My sister, Nuala. She is well and married, much to my ire.” Nuada said around mouthfuls, humming in delight at the food fit for royalty. Thor almost couldn’t tell what he was faking anymore, he could barely taste his own food. Frigga still looked unconvinced.

Odin however, looked pleased. “To whom?”

“A man on Earth. Not a human man, but not a worthy man. We have been on equal power since father passed, so I've no right to end her union. Perhaps if I were to take my throne I could help her see sense.”

“It would be most beneficial if you were to take your throne, your people sound like they need it. And with Thor flying all over Midgard surely the humans will take to your kingdom easier.” Odin gave Thor what looked like a teasing glance and Thor laughed, but it was strained and he wished to duck and hide under Frigga’s skirts.

“Perhaps, but my kingdom will remain secret, it was no less beautiful. It provides protection. I suppose returning with an heir and a thrall I could prove I am ready to be king. I've already many subjects, all they'd require is an invitation.”

That was true, he knew many people and if he were to be rebuilding Bethmoora they’d return, but not because of his heir or Loki. But Odin didn’t know that, he didn’t know Midgardian customs, even around non human folk.

Odin looked impressed and chewed his food slowly. “You are wise, Nuada. You are aged too, but your face doesn't show it.” 

“My father always believed in heirs sooner than later. In my case it is later,” Nuada carefully kept the topic on the area he knew Odin wanted to discuss while sounding nonchalant. He rolled the Asgardian food around his mouth and genuinely enjoyed it, but kept note of everything Odin watched him do.

“Will it matter to your people where your heirs come from? I am not well versed on the Elven customs Balor’s forefathers took to Midgard.”

Of course he wasn’t. Nuada gave a non committal shrug. “No. My people are not all Elven. Eight percent are of other Earth-bound races. It will make no difference to them, they know not of Álfheimr customs.”

“You do not wish to return to Álfheimr, back to your roots?” Odin asked, genuinely curious.

Nuada frowned in thought, and answered honestly. “My father expressed a wish for us not to, I will honour that. And perhaps I will honour him further by rebuilding the city he ruled.” 

“I am most impressed, Nuada. I was not expecting...”

Nuada smiled, but kept any smugness or simmering arrogance from showing. Odin was already bought, he just had to keep saying everything he wanted to hear while sounding neutral. Thor had barely touched his food and was staring at him with an array of emotions that made him feel as if he was doing something wrong, but the more distraught Thor was the more likely Odin would send Loki away. It was all reverse psychology. 

“Loki saw knowledge and wisdom in my eyes and he was attracted like moth to a flame. But my flame simmers, it was not enough for him.” Nuada made an effort to sound disappointed and solemn. “I will take Loki if you allow me to. My people will appreciate a show of strength on my part, and I believe Loki will actually do perfectly, being what he is.” 

“Frostfemme.” Odin said, sharing an odd look with Nuada who nodded.

Double taking softly, Thor looked around the table. Frigga was stiff in her seat and Odin was _almost_ cracking a smile. “...A what?” Thor asked stupidly.

“You know what that is?” Odin asked, leaning back in his chair as he swirled the contents in his goblet.

Nuada smiled this time, looking as dashing and handsome as one would expect a prince to be. “I do. I am surprised you never used its benefits.”

“I had planned to...” Odin admitted, and drifted to gaze at Thor as Frigga stared at him with unspoken comments of the same topic, obviously. He also obviously didn’t know Nuada knew that he had once planned to marry Loki to Thor. Nuada almost wanted to bang his fist on the table and hiss out the truth, but it was too worthless for the petty gain of a smug moment. Odin continued quickly after. “But Jötunheimr is not known for their beauty and civility, and despite Loki's, the other realms would not have been keen to make a Queen of him and mix their blood with that of Jötunheimr.”

‘ _Liar_ ,’ Nuada thought bitterly, but his face told another story. “I can understand that. It seems fate was waiting for me. I've no problem with the Jotun blood, my children will be strong, and that is a quality respected among the magical races on Earth, more so than beauty or culture.” He noted Frigga was looking uncomfortable and Thor wasn’t fairing any better. “You've placed a mirage over Loki to hide his true form?”

Odin grunted. “Yes, I will remove it entirely should he swop hands. He has proven he is not Asgardian, it makes no sense to keep the farce.”

“Loki does what is in his nature.” Nuada said dismissively, as if Loki was no more than a pet. Frigga sighed to show her disagreement but said nothing more. She hadn’t said much to Odin lately anyway, only when prompted. Odin at least looked like he found a new friend, which was disturbing to say the least.

Shifting to show some sort of serious expression, Odin eyed Nuada carefully. “Should you take ownership, you do know the crimes he is guilty of?”

“Loki will carry out his sentence no matter where we settle. I know very well the trouble he’s caused.” Nuada said surely, again making Thor wonder if he as actually still just lying. He shifted like Odin did, and rubbed his hands together idly. “Loki should have been put in a match a long time ago. Jotuns mate early, or they tend to wander and grow rebellious.” It actually wasn’t a lie, and Nuada felt horrible for airing it. Jotuns were always large in numbers, they started mating early. There wasn’t such a thing as waiting for love or finding the right political match, unless you were royalty. Jotuns had families quickly, and big families at that.

“Indeed you are right. I was a fool to think growing him in our customs would change his instincts.” Odin said, sounding regretful. Frigga put down her fork as loudly as she could and looked off, completely disagreeing, but trying her best to trust Thor’s plan, for Loki’s sake.

Nuada smiled and turned a palm to Odin. “Ah, but you were merciful to take him in. A lesser man would have left him to die.”

“Thank you for acknowledging that.” Odin said. Thor even looked up at the gratitude in Odin’s tone, and he turned to stare at Nuada as if he’d grown a third eye. Ignoring everyone else Odin smiled at Nuada. “Please, spend the night. I need to think before I decided. Tomorrow perhaps I will have an answer. A servant will have a room set up, and please, ask for anything you need. But I ask if you stay away from Loki. He is allowed no visitors.”

“Of course, Allfather. Thank you.”

 

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Odin and Nuada being chummy is so weird even if false


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I apologise for errors_

**Chapter 12**

The next two days were torment for the two princes and Frigga. None of them could speak to the other if it wasn’t when pretending. They couldn’t take the chance of Odin commanding Heimdall to spy on them, it could mean punishment, and on Nuada’s part imprisonment or death. Frigga was trying her best to stay calm and trust this stranger that so smoothly bested Odin, and Thor was trying his best not to let himself actually grow anger for Nuada who was here trying to help them. He was just so smooth and convincing it made Thor suspicious, he had always believed in being straightforward in your battles, not swerving around lies and tricks. Perhaps that was part of Loki’s anger for him…

Frigga stayed away from all of them while Thor remained with Odin, discussing the idea of giving Loki to Nuada. Nuada in the mean time made use of the training areas and trained to keep himself busy and pass the time when not needed, saying little more than greetings lest his tongue slip. The Asgardians didn’t approach him but he attracted many prying eyes, especially the maidens that came to watch the handsome visitor of _Álfheimr_. It bothered him that they assumed he was from Álfheimr, but he wasn’t going to correct them over it. 

Rumours spread and stories upon stories made their ways through the palace about Loki and the elf prince, but Odin made no attempt to shut them up. Thor took it upon himself to deny them whenever someone approached him, but it did little to stem the rumours. 

But most of all it was insanely difficult to wait for Odin’s decision without edging towards the prisons. Both Nuada and Thor were horribly eager to even catch a glimpse of Loki and Frigga wanted to be certain she’d see him one last time before he was sent away. That’s IF Odin agreed. But by the looks of it…he would.

 

“Father, are you certain of this?” Thor asked with genuine worry as he followed his father.

“For the umpteenth time, Thor, _yes_. Your love for Loki has made you foolish. He’s twisted his way into your heart so that even in a cell he has sway over your words. This is why I cannot trust you to be king and have him in your hands at the same time. You will be too easy on him after all he’s done to betray us.”

It was the day Odin woke up and decided sending Loki away to serve the foreign prince would do him justice. Clearly a cell was no punishment as Loki was still as prideful and smug as ever, but perhaps the position of a thrall would knock some humility into his head. Odin had announced to his wife and son that morning that he had decided, and had Thor accompany him to find Nuada.

Panicking slightly at the thought that Odin truly cared not for Loki, Thor couldn’t help his words from tumbling out. “And you care not for his wellbeing after placing him in Nuada’s? What if he hurts Loki?”

“Then Loki must understand why, and learn regret for his actions.” Odin said, then stopped to face Thor with a weary expression. “…I do not believe nor wish he will cause Loki pain, but I believe Prince Nuada will treat him with a firm hand, and that is what Loki needs. Nuada will do just fine. And dare you try to intervene, I will see to it you and your mother never sees Loki again.”

Thor looked down as his heart hammered in his chest, both in fear and bubbling excitement—it was a most odd feeling. “…Yes father.”

Nuada was found in the training area of course, having just arrived from an early morning bath. Odin passed the news to Nuada as if he had done him a great favour, and went on about how he wasn’t to let him down and blah blah blah. Thor even scolded himself for thinking so rudely of his father, but until this situation was passed he wouldn’t be able to breathe in.

As Thor now expected, Nuada reacted in character and thanked Odin in a mature way, not over doing it like an excited puppy. Nuada clearly did understand politics better, but it was ironic Odin could not see he was being played. Then again Thor still had to catch Nuada’s eye now and then for a sign that he _was_ actually pretending.

Once formalities had been set aside Odin invited Nuada down to the prisons to fetch his new thrall, who was _much_ bigger than when Thor saw him last. His bearded jaw almost dropped to the floor and he gawked openly. Loki sat on a chair, but its back was facing them. But as they approached they could see Loki from the side, his belly swollen and holding up his hands as he paged through a book.

Nuada’s stepped slowly as he took in Loki for the first time in months. Thor had to nudge him forward once until they were all standing at Loki’s cell. The other prisoners hurried to see and hear what was happening, and it was obvious Loki knew he had visitors but he pointedly ignored them. 

“Loki, stand and face us.” Odin ordered formally.

Sighing dramatically, Loki let his book drop from his fingers in an exaggerated manner and shifted a few times before pushed up to his feet, then turned with a fake pained expression as a hand went to support his back. “No rest for the wicked—” he started but the words caught in his throat when he laid eyes on Nuada. He’d seen people approach his cell but he had no idea who it was, and he couldn’t remember what he told himself to do in this situation.

In awe, Nuada kept glancing between Loki’s handsome face and his heavy abdomen, wanting nothing more than to embrace him and apologise for impregnating him. “Loki.” He breathed.

Loki straightened pulled his arms beneath his stomach and fidgeted with his fingers, looking instantly like a vulnerable child. His heart started racing and he felt slightly faint as a dozen pairs of eyes watched him. His face burnt but his innards felt cold and icy. “…You found him.” he said, glancing at Thor briefly.

Thor‘s face crumpled genuinely. “I am sorry, Loki. I had to.”

Loki didn’t feel ready for this. As much as he longed for Nuada’s arms he still had no idea whose child it was, and he did not want to disrespect Nuada by making him think it was his child if it wasn’t. But at the very least Blade wasn’t here.

Odin shifted Gungnir from his left hand to his right, gaining Loki’s reluctant gaze. “Loki, I hereby sentence you to carry out the rest of your days serving Nuada as his thrall on Midgard.” 

Instantly Loki’s unsure expression snapped into one of shock and he gasped sharply. Odin continued as if he hadn’t heard. “You will continue your sentence under his watch as he rebuilds his kingdom with you by his side. You will obey him as your king and deny him nothing. I give him rights to handle as he sees fit any trouble you cause in his care and rights—”

This was not happening, this couldn’t be happening. As the cold icky feeling in his gut threatened to overtake his entire body Loki looked at Nuada desperately for help. _‘Nuada, please, what is this?’_ he asked with his eyes, but Nuada wasn’t there. Loki could not longer see _him_ , just a man staring at him with a hard expression. Odin went on in the background, detailing a verbal contract that Loki wished to spit back in his face, and quickly the anger rose like a great wave, then crashed and spread forth.

“How could you! After everything! _Everything_!” Loki shrieked through the magical barrier, stepping forward to the three men. He tried so hard to keep the tears from rising but without someone to kill he didn’t know how else to release his anger. He had trusted Nuada, and he had trusted Thor, and they were both standing their looking at him and saying _nothing_. Even Thor knew what a thrall was, and Nuada certainly did, so how could they not say anything? Unless…unless this had already been discussed upstairs? How long had Nuada been here for? Plotting with Odin? Loki wanted to scream and cry and punch something all at once. It made no sense, but it _had_ been months. Maybe Nuada no longer cared for him? Maybe he decided he _was_ offended after all and this was his ticket to being repaid? Loki didn’t want to believe it, but he was confused and weary from months of solitude and in no state to be able to think clearly.

Odin waved down the magical barrier and summoned to guards to pull Loki out of the cell. Thor struggled not to intervene, despite the men not using brute force, and watched in distaste as Loki was shackled again. He glanced at Nuada who was obviously as against the chains as Steve had been, but drew strength from Nuada who was watching Loki with a slight frown and nothing more. Sensing someone, Thor looked over his shoulder and saw Frigga rushing in, her face flickering into a distraught wince as Loki was secured in the chains.

Looking around the chains, Loki cracked a smile, a very disturbing one, and let out a bark of maniacal laughter. “Ohh, I am going to take great pleasure in killing you all.” He said as if reminiscing, then gasped through his nose as Odin sealed his mouth shut with a wave of his hand. His chained hands flew up to his lips which were still separate, only pressed together and refusing to part. He whined angrily in the back of his throat and gave Odin the filthiest glare he could muster, but Odin’s expression didn’t change from its stoic form.

Then, in the ultimate show of disownment, Odin waved his hand once more, and washed away his spell that hid Loki’s Jotun form. Royal blue flesh spread across Loki’s body and he gasped in fright despite trying to look threatening. Loki watched in horror as his true form became visible and he looked around his arms as if a disgusting rash had spread. Muted, chained, and forced into a form Asgard’s looked down on, Loki had never felt so low. He felt sick to his stomach, which suddenly felt like a burden instead of a gift. 

Desperate to look at anything but himself and the three men in front of him Loki saw Frigga a few steps away and saw her tearing silently. “ _I’m sorry, Loki._ ” She mouthed.

For what? Loki just didn’t know what was happening anymore. He didn’t know who he could trust, he didn’t know who was right, he didn’t know if he was wrong, his head hurt. His eyes went in and out of focus a few time and he almost lost his balance. The room suddenly felt warmer and the swirling in his stomach threatened to make him vomit but he physically couldn’t, not with his lips shut. Or maybe he could, but he was certain that detailed a very messy death.

“You were once a proud prince of Asgard Loki. I gave you everything I possibly could. But it was not enough. Now you will spend your days giving everything to your King and your children.” Odin said gravely, reacting not in the slightest as the situation dawned on Loki in pieces and tears of panic streamed down his blue cheeks. “A fit punishment for one so proud.” Odin continued, and with one last look at the man he once called son, he turned to Nuada. “You may leave when ready, Prince Nuada.”

Thor hurried to get in a word. “Let Mother say goodbye first.” He reminded, and Frigga didn’t bother waiting for an answer before she rushed up and pulled Loki to her chest. The guards and Odin alike jumped slightly, as if Loki was a threat, which made Nuada hold in the biggest roll of his eyes he’d ever felt the urge to do.

“I will write my child, and I will visit.” Frigga promised as she kissed a trail over Loki’s forehead, wiping away his frozen tears and staring determinedly into his red eyes. She’d miss his lovely green eyes but she’d miss them more if they remained and lost their light. She squeezed him hard to her body, making sure he could feel her love. “I love you, Loki. I am so sorry, my child. _I love you_.”

If this was the last kindness he was going to get, Loki decided to savour it even with eyes watching him. He shut his eyes, his ugly red eyes, and melted into her arms. He couldn’t hug her back thanks to the chains but he leaned against her and pressed into her neck, smelling comfort for the last time. He should have hugged her more, he should have appreciated her more, he should have loved her more. When he had the chance. He should have. He should have.

When finally she parted Thor moved in for his turn, but Loki snapped away as if from a predator and looked up with a blazing glower. His red eyes made the effect all that more powerful and Thor pulled back too. “...Loki.”

Loki turned away—he didn’t have the strength to endure Thor right now, not after this.

But Loki didn’t know of the plan. Thor hated Loki thinking this way of him, but it would be worth it. Let Loki hate him now, but he’d understand later. Nuada would explain it to him when they were alone and Loki would understand. He had to.

Taking the chain from the guards Nuada bowed to Odin. “Thank you Allfather. Come, Loki.” 

The trip back upstairs was another long trip the two princes couldn’t wait to be over. Or make that three. It seemed like everyone knew what was happening and stood around in the middle of duties to watch as Loki was escorted out, and it turned out that he _was_ Jotun just as it was rumoured. Frigga disappeared quickly, most likely to mourn, and Odin waked them to the palace doors.

On the way the stares weighed down heavily on Loki’s shoulders. He felt utterly humiliated and defeated. Swollen like a bred whore and blue like the Jotun savages, locked up in chains—he wished his heart would suddenly give in and he’d die and just be rid of this life. He was feeling incredibly tired and each step thudded in his ears. People from all sides stared at him, people he’d once known. At one turn he saw Sif and Fandral, and saw the pity in their eyes.

He couldn’t bring himself to look at Thor, or Nuada, and only walked because he didn’t want them to touch him. He felt filthy and disgusting and maybe, just maybe if he hadn’t influenced Thor to Jötunheimr that day not so long ago he’d be relaxing peacefully in his room right now, practicing a new spell and lounging on soft blankets.

Now he was to be a slave and forever a Jotun.

Thor walked them all the way to Heimdall, who didn’t look surprised to see Loki’s colouring .“Loki.” He said in a tone that demanded attention. Despite the embarrassing tears rolling and freezing down his face Loki looked up, Heimdall smiled. “Good luck, Asgard’s Trickster.” He said, and Thor smiled a confused smile at the slight affection in his tone.

“Nuada,” Thor said, patting the man on the arm. “I will come to check up soon.” He said, and glanced at Loki who immediately turned away. He sighed, and gave Nuada a very pointed look. Nuada returned it, and nodded Thor off.

As Thor started walking away Loki panicked. What if the baby wasn’t Nuada’s? What if it came and it was Blade’s and Nuada became enraged and Loki was stuck in Midgard with _two more enemies_? What would he do? Did Thor even care? Did he even think about that?

There was no time to debate that and Nuada grabbed a hold of him a moment before Heimdall opened the Bifrost and transported them to Earth. Loki recognised the place from the last time he’d been there, but he felt nothing but fear and confusion. Nuada led them forward by his shoulders in a firm but gentle grasp, and Loki didn’t have the energy to fight. He couldn’t speak to defend himself, he couldn’t throw a punch because of the chains and he couldn’t run thanks to his heavy stomach. His magic had simmered along with his energy and since Odin removed the mirage Loki felt his magic flicker in the weirdest way as if it was displaced, probably another chain of Odin’s.

He was completely vulnerable.

 _Thrall_. He shuddered. How horrible. Trust Odin to agree to such a punishment. But Nuada…? No…no he just couldn’t have…he couldn’t have.

Nuada’s heart clenched with each silent tear that raced down Loki’s beautiful face. He clenched his jaw tightly so nothing slipped passed his lips until they were secure in his home. Once passed through the doors and they were shut Nuada sighed in relief that the Gatekeeper could not see them here unless he really tried, and _really_ tried.

Quickly he led Loki over to the bed they once shared and sat him down, acknowledging that Loki was being much too compliant. He expected to have needed to drag Loki in the doors kicking and screaming. But there was nothing, only Loki’s big lost eyes looking up at him in a glare.

A sharp pain struck through Nuada’s chest at the sight before him. This was not that man he met all those months ago. He wanted to do as Frigga had and smother him in affection this very moment but Loki’s hands were shaking and his pulse was racing—he was scared. He was labelled a thrall, given away by the man called is father and in chains on a bed belonging to the man responsible for his pregnancy. Nuada almost felt dirty, but it wasn’t like that.

And he would make Loki see it. 

“…Loki, you can relax. You’re safe now.” Nuada said softly, and in respond Loki snorted. Nuada looked up at him sharply with a smile. _There_ was his Loki. “It was a farce, Loki. Look at me.” Nuada cupped a hand around his jaw and urged Loki to keep looking at him. Reluctantly Loki did so, watching Nuada with foreign eyes. Luckily the fire and spirit that made Loki _Loki_ was still there and Nuada savoured it. Then suddenly Nuada leaned over and kissed Loki chastely, earning an outraged squeak.

Loki jerked away and out of his hand, glaring with all his might and wondering if it was worth it to try throwing a punch. Nuada leaned away as well to give Loki his space and held his palms up to show he was not trying to be a threat. “I’m sorry, Loki, but that’s the way you remove the seal spell.” Nuada purposely avoided the word _thrall_. The muting spell Odin placed on him had been one specifically made for a master to use on his thrall, and could only be removed with a kiss. It was a show of possession of course, but it was not permanent so that could be the last kiss they shared if Loki wished it so.

Just as Nuada spoke the cell washed away and Loki gasped in a deep breath as his lips melted apart. His fingers rushed up to paw at him lips, savouring the feeling of them being separate. He swallowed and licked them, watching Nuada like a hawk should he want to put the spell back. But Nuada just stared at him quietly, a serene smile spreading across that handsome face Loki had been craving to see. “…Look at you, more beautiful than you will ever know.”

Long artistic fingers reached out, but Loki turned away. “D-don’t touch me.” He was ugly now, he was blue and Jotun and detestable. He knew Nuada had no problem with that but _he did_. He may have allowed Nuada to see him this way before but it was different then.

“Be calm, Loki, stress is not good when carrying.” Nuada said gently, but he did not try to force Loki to look at him. Instead he got up and started unshackling the chains hanging off the younger. Loki kept his head down so his long hair hid most of his face, but peeked up at Nuada who removed each cuff, gentle massaging Loki’s wrists. After the chain was removed Nuada dropped it to the side and slowly turned back to Loki with a sigh. “You are not my thrall, I would never condemn you to such a low status. You are a prince, and you shall remain so.”

Turning his face away again Loki’s lips trembled. “…I am nothing.” Though he didn’t truly believe those words, he had always been dramatic when around Nuada. The male had always handled it with a smile and a shake of his head and did his own thing until Loki had calm down. Loki could throw an entire tantrum and be left panting on the floor and Nuada would walk up as if oblivious and offer a goblet of wine.

But Loki sounded like he did believe it, and Nuada hurried to sit besides him again. “You are everything. Look at me. Did you not see your mother cry for you? Did you not see Thor ache for you?” Loki’s face twitched at the mention of Thor, and Nuada hurried to clear Thor’s name while Loki was still giving him the chance to explain. “Thor allowed this for _your_ sake. Thor loves you more than all of us, and he was strong for you. We had to pretend for Odin, or he wouldn’t have let you go. Thor was pretending, _I_ was pretending. Even your gatekeeper is pretending. For you, Loki. All I ask is that you appreciate this effort, and appreciate all I will do for you.”

Not at all feeling the hand caressing his cheek and the other sipping over one of his, he stared dumbstruck at the elf prince. “…You lied to Odin?” Nuada lied? _Thor_ lied? Thor had been lying? For him? To Odin, his beloved father? Loki’s stomach churned. If this was true, that could have been the last time he saw Thor and he practically visually spat in his face. But he had thought Thor was siding with Odin and evil Nuada. He had thought that…that they…

“For you. Had you heard me at dinner you would have slain me with mere thoughts. I am certain Frigga was close to it herself, despite knowing my bluff.” Nuada was relieved to see Loki’s whole body sag. He believed him. And why wouldn’t he? Once they had been so close, friends sharing secrets to lovers entwined in the sheets. Nuada had never given Loki a reason not to trust him, and he was glad to see Loki hadn’t forgotten him. 

Taking the chance Nuada rubbed his thumb over Loki’s cheek and squeezed his hand, trying to press the love and warmth into him. It was a good sign when Loki didn’t pull away.

“…You…You’re not going to enslave me?” Loki asked carefully, enjoying the physical attention now that he was beginning to feel it.

“No, Loki.” Nuada said firmly, and pulled away his hand and took both of Loki’s. “But…I would be most honoured if you remain by my side nonetheless.” Nuada stood and urged Loki up with him. Loki stood for him, looking a little uncertain, and watched with an odd expression as Nuada let go of his hands and placed them ever so gently over his large stomach. 

“The fates have given us both a family. A new meaning.” Nuada said, watching Loki carefully for permission. Loki didn’t object, but now that the anger had gone as quickly as it came Loki found other negative emotions pouring in through the cracks. 

Loki’s breath caught in his throat as he watched Nuada fawn affectionately over his extended body. His cotton shirt was just stretching now, allowing Nuada’s deft fingers all the sensation they craved as they feathered along as if drawing a picture. Nuada still cared. Even after all this time. But of course he did, how could Loki doubt that? _Shame on you, Loki Od_ -… Loki’s heart clenched and his face crumpled.

“…It might not be yours, Nuada.” He said as the tears began to flow again. 

Best get it out. Nuada would be angry, wouldn’t he? Any normal man would be angry. He’d be angry. What if he sent him back to Asgard? Or called Blade? Oh gods what if Blade came here out of his own? Loki would barely move around let alone defend himself!

Nuada looked up at the sobs that started at quickly slipped his hands around Loki’s face. “It is.” he said, smiling as Loki sniffled loudly in an attempt to stop his sobbing. He wiped his thumbs over to rid the icicle-tears. “That vampire was sterile. He cannot create young.”

Loki stared, suddenly forgetting to cry and breathe. He tried a few times to say something he didn’t know yet, until he managed to choke out two words. “…He can’t?” He didn’t want to allow himself to believe it for the ache of being let down would hurt more.

“No. Thor tracked him down as well. But this is good, that means it mine. Unless…there was a third man?” Nuada hinted, and chuckled softly as Loki hurried to clear his nose and answer.

“No, no just-just-no one else.”

Nuada believed him and brought his hands down to hold Loki’s once more. He squeezed Loki’s hands, feeling them finally squeeze back. “Stay with me? Allow me to care for you Loki, and this child. Remember that kingdom I offered? Come with me, let us restore its glory. Together.”

Loki remembered Nuada offering such a thing the last time they had seen each other, but he couldn’t remember why he had turned it down. Why _had_ he? He could be a king by now. …No, he could never be a king. King’s didn’t get pregnant. 

There was just too much going on for him to think straight. Loki sniffled and looked up at Nuada, carefully reminding himself to acknowledge and be grateful for the fact that Nuada hadn’t really taken him as his thrall, and maybe thank him later. “…C-can I first come to terms with everything?” 

Barely able to resist Nuada drew Loki into a hug and petted him with the utmost care. He felt Loki hug him back, and squeeze them together gently so not to put pressure on the baby. “Of course, my love. I am so sorry. If I had known you conceived I would have arrived sooner.” They parted and Nuada gave a teasing smile. “I did tell you to come with me, did I not?”

“Well, maybe I would have if I’d known…” Loki said, unsurely as he glanced down at his stomach. He looked up again and found nothing but Nuada. All that was Nuada…all that he had so ungratefully took for granted. “…Thank you. Even after all I…”

“You had a plan, and I admit I didn’t try hard enough to sway you from it. I didn’t want to force you into anything, especially after you made it clear you would not stand for such things after Odin.”

“Odin looks to be taking great joy in my humiliation.”

“And you did not provoke him?” Nuada raised a brow.

Loki bit his lip guiltily, but shared a flicker of a smile. “…Maybe.”

“Come, we are safe, even your Gatekeeper cannot see through the enchantments placed here. I have some soft robes for you to sleep in.” 

Even more weary now after all the excitement, Loki just nodded his consent. He followed Nuada to his side of the bed and smiled at the fancy looking robes. Feeling a little pampered already, Loki lifted his arms when Nuada gestured for him to do so, and let him pull off his shirt. The cotton made it over his head and Loki shook out his hair, and immediately brought his hands down to feeling around his belly, when his arms brushed over two odd things that ached sharply at contact.

Loki hissed through his teeth and looked down, then yelped and grabbed Nuada’s arm fearfully. He held his other arm out and stared with frightened eyes down at his foreign blue chest.

“Nuada!”

“Relax, dear heart, be calm.” Nuada had to cup his jaw to catch his eye again, and firmly rubbed his arms until Loki calmed down enough to look at him manually. Nuada squeezed his arms just above his elbows in a comforting manner, and took a moment to follow Loki’s eyes to the two small breasts moulded onto his body. The nipples were a darker blue than the rest of him and swollen, obviously incredibly sensitive and able to cause pain. “They’re supposed to be there, how else will you feed the babe?” Nuada asked, but Loki shook his head and looked unconvinced to their existence.

“They weren’t there this morning!” Loki hissed.

“Odin’s spell hid a lot of things.” Nuada sighed, and feathered a kiss to Loki’s forehead. “You are perfect, Loki, you are fine.” 

Though he didn’t quite agree Loki kept quiet and let Nuada undress him further. The elf stopped on the way down to inspect his stomach and spoil it with attentions that made Loki blush terribly. Nuada didn’t torment him for too long, but suddenly a thought struck Loki and he pulled away abruptly when his pants came off. Nuada shot him a confused look but he just held up a hand and turned to lean on the bed, and stuck a hand straight down his underwear.

Behind him Nuada leaned over slightly to see what on Earth Loki was doing, then finally Loki sighed loudly in relief and straightened up, fixing his underwear slightly. 

His penis was still there, and he didn't have any extra bits. He hadn’t truly expected a surprise, but ‘Odin’s spell hid a lot of things’ made him think, what if the spell hid _other_ things even he hadn’t know how to make appear. Rather be safe than sorry.

Nuada cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

If Nuada hadn’t already known the faces Loki pulled when blushing he wouldn’t have realised he was blushing this time, the blue of his skin masking it. “The Aesir used to say Jotuns had both male and female parts, I was just checking. I don’t know what I’m missing, or have gained...”

Nuada chuckled lightly and bumped his knuckles under Loki's chin affectionately. “They mean the capabilities of both male and female. To bear and to give.” 

Cringing, Loki looked down at himself and folded his arms across his chest to hide his new appendages. “I look ugly.”

“Lies. You look gorgeous. Jotun royalty. You are still just as beautiful as ever. I read a little more on Jotun kind since you left, and Frostfemme are much revered, never shown to the other realms like mere common folk.” Nuada fawned, brushing Loki's hair from his face.

“Where did you study sweet talking? Vanaheimr?” Loki muttered, but graciously accepted the robe Nuada slid onto his body. Nuada was gentle and patient, just as Frigga would be, but as comforting as it was it made Loki feel guilty. “...Odin would be angry if he saw you pampering me.”

“Best we keep fooling him then, yes?” Nuada patted his arms would behind and kissed his cheek. “Are you hungry?”

Loki shook his head, caught between the urge to shove Nuada away for his silly affections and the urge to throw himself at Nuada for a good tonguing. Now that he was back in this cosy home he realised how much he missed Nuada. 

“I’m fine. I just want to lie down.” 

Instantly Nuada took him by the hand and led him onto the bed. Loki pointedly climbed on by himself despite his heavy stomach and crawled up to the pillows where he dropped down with a tired sigh. All the tension from the day and the last months was seizing up his muscles, he could feel them automatically clenching if he didn't make a conscious effort to relax them. 

The other prince settled besides him and this time Loki made the effort to make contact, and shimmied over the remaining space to rest his head on Nuada's chest. Nuada hummed his approval and laid back for Loki, and put an arm around his shoulders to pet him. The other hand went behind his head and he pulled up a knee, waving it idly as they lay in silence.

As the moments ticked by, Loki felt as if he should say something. He knew Nuada did not do things in return for favours, but he couldn’t help the paranoia that he now owed Nuada something. ' _You're having his child for stars’ sake, that's enough reward for him._ '

Gingerly Loki slid his hand up and felt along Nuada’s chest, tracing out the beautiful chiselled definition of muscle below the clothing. Was this Thor he probably would have removed his shirt first, just to antagonise Loki into more intimate doings... But it was time he stopped comparing Nuada to Thor.

Swallowing down his selfish thoughts, Loki pressed down his hand in a way that said he acknowledged Nuada, and nuzzled his cheek into the clothing, breathing in his scent. “…Mother said she’ll write.” he tried softly.

“Thor will see to that. He will visit often and he’ll have those Avengers spy on us to make sure for his and Frigga’s peace of mind that you’re okay.” Nuada said, staring at the ceiling as he squished Loki to his chest every few breathes, just to _feel_ him. 

Loki would have thought he'd be a tad upset about that, but Nuada sounded entirely content. He should be too, he realised. “I admit you had me worried there.” he admitted with a nervous chuckle, thinking back to the previous hour when Odin and Thor had brought in Nuada. He had already been so low he bought the lie, along with Odin. He flushed in embarrassment for his reaction but could they blame him?

Nuada brought up his hand and gave the back of Loki's neck a scratch. “I was just glad you still had a fighting spirit.”

“Can’t take that away from me—” Loki started, then gasped through his nose and shuddered immediately into the scratch as his entire body dropped. It felt as if every muscle in his body suddenly uncurled and went to sleep. His eyes fluttered and he had to manually tighten his bladder as the need to pee hit him. His muscles twitched in waves to remain hard as Nuada continued a gentle scratch that undid their resistance, like magic, and slowly Loki's muscles remained relaxed as they should be. 

Relieved but concerned at the ease of the manipulation at this body, Loki mewled into his chest and brought his knees up and again tried to fend off the need to pee. He half heartedly cursed being pregnant and dared his body to soil Nuada's precious bed, but it would only be Nuada's fault.

But the scratching was becoming a pleasant sensation and Loki didn't bother to push away his hand. He instead tried to get his voice and focus back. “…She also said she would visit?”

“Of course she can, but it can’t be now. We have to avoid making Odin suspicious. We’ll stay here until you’ve birthed and healed, then we’ll leave for Bethmoora. It might be a year or so before you can see her again, and months before Thor. But I’m almost certain one of the Avengers will make sure to knock right on our door soon.” Nuada smiled, thinking back to Thor's friends, and Loki's enemies. While they were still horrid humans, Nuada would trust Loki in their hands any day instead of Odin's. They were not vindictive nor did they hold a personal grudge against Loki, they had even wandered the Troll Market to help Thor, and in connection, Loki himself.

Loki's thoughts drifted on the city of Bethmoora that Nuada had told him about months ago, and he hugged himself just a bit closer to the elf's warm body. “...Thank you. I am tempted to ask what can I do to repay you but I think pushing out your heir soon will be plenty thanks.” He couldn't help it, he was paranoid. But he knew Nuada would understand...Nuada understood him.

“You are absolutely gorgeous.” Nuada said, having truly missed Loki's obsessing over things. He shifted and looked down pointedly, and in response Loki turned his face up. Nuada pulled his hand from behind his head and ghosted his fingers down Loki's face, a face so familiar yet now foreign. No longer were green shining eyes staring back at him, no longer would those sharp cheeks flush red, but he was no less beautiful. “I swear I’ll keep you well Loki. And I won’t lock you away, but for the sake of this plan—”

“I know, I know. You don’t need to tell me…I’ll be good. I’ll have something else to obsess over anyway…” Loki looked away as he went red (or was it navy in this case), and thought about the being growing within him. World domination would have to wait now...he had a baby to nurse. How embarrassing. He was genuinely surprised no one had laughed to his face. Well...no one that mattered, at least.

With his own bubbling excitement on finally having a child of his own, Nuada pushed it away to focus on Loki. The male had turned out the way he did because he had never been listened to. “…Your mother didn’t get the chance to see you through this. She wanted to be there for you.”

Loki chewed his lip and thought back to a time in the cell when he had been close to begging for Frigga to remain with him. “…Honestly I was going to ask for her. I don’t know anything about this.” 

Nuada tried to squeeze the fear out of him. “You will learn. We will learn. …My sister wishes to meet you.” he then said, staring off.

Loki frowned and watched his face. “You told her?”

“No, no, but she knows you through the connection I share with her. And now she knows I’ve returned home with you, she’s eager to meet you.” 

Loki widened his eyes as he recalled the bond between Nuada and his twin sister, of whom he hadn't met. “Well, I’d like to meet her. …When I’m not so bloated.” he added.

Nuada smiled. “She would adore you, not laugh.”

“Still...I feel disgusting.” As soon as the words left his thoughts through his big mouth Loki felt shame simmer beneath his skin. He glanced at Nuada's face and as expected it held a troubled, almost hurt expression. Loki struggled to look apologetic and genuinely uncomfortable at the same time. “N-not because of the child…It’s just that…Jotun always meant ugly. And now I’m Jotun.”

Nuada's expression softened. When it did Loki took the chance to turn his face away, feeling guilty and withdrawn. Sighing gently, Nuada petted his back. “You will grow into it.... I met your Avengers.”

Loki's brows met his hair line, but he didn't look up. “You did? Which ones?”

“The solider, the woman, and the man of iron.”

Loki gave an odd combination of a snort and a scoff. “They hate me the least. Though that woman…”

“They helped Thor find me.” Nuada said gently.

This time Loki looked up, a brow cocked. “They did?”

“Yes. They actually impressed me.” Nuada said, and chuckled at the disdain on Loki's face.

“…I still stand by everything I said.”

In no mood to challenge Loki Nuada swapped his other arm around him and hugged him close to his chest. “I know, I know, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Rest Loki, rest…”

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the last.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter. Congratulations for getting this far in one of the strangest fics you’ll prolly ever read.
> 
> _I apologise for errors_

**Chapter 13**

A month and a half later, Loki gave birth. He was late, according to Nuada who sat and charted his date while Loki lay on the bed snacking on biscuits. Loki never ran out of gratitude to have on the fact that Nuada was a very wise and learned man. When Loki had calmed down and relaxed into _their_ home Nuada went out and bought the few books on Jotun biology. It wasn’t much, the Jotun chapters were only a few pages long here and there, but it was enough. He sat one evening besides Loki and went through them with him, brushing up on his own memory while pointing out the main things that Loki should know about himself. Loki however ignored most of it in favour of just figuring out his damn reproductive system. His eyes bulged comically at a drawn depiction of a regular Jotun penis, the thing was huge, and he was apparently able to take that? He almost thanked Odin for bloody well finding him. 

But no amount of reading could prepare him for birth. He still panicked, he still screamed, and he still cried. He insisted, even though Nuada asked a few times before, that only Nuada would witness the birth. There was no way he was going to go through that with a witness, experienced wet nurse or not. Eventually Nuada gave in and just prepared himself as much as he could to handle it on his own. 

After it was over, Loki swore to punch Nuada in the nose, and possibly his dick if he was quick enough. It honestly hadn't taken long, within two hours of contractions the child was born and Loki had done the impossible. He truly was not Aesir. But when he saw the little gurgling babe and the brightness in Nuada's eyes, he felt he could not care, if only for the moment.

It was a boy. Nuada had said it would most likely be one, and he was right. And despite Loki's paranoia that it would be huge and troll like, it was regular sized and fit perfectly into Nuada's arms as he walked the floor with it, grinning at his son and spoiling him with comforts of the arms. He was a light faded blue, his skin tone much closer to Nuada's than Loki's, but he had a head full of black locks. Jotuns didn't have hair on their heads, except for their Frostfemmes like Loki which was a symbolically feminine trait, and Nuada mused the child was partly one too judging by his small size and soft features. But Nuada wasn't particularly large himself and with his strong old elf blood influencing as well, he decided it would be unlikely for a full blooded Jotun to be born between them.

It took Loki a little longer to recover than he liked, but Nuada waited on him hand and foot and did his best to speed along the healing process. By the time Loki could walk around on his own again without straining his tender insides they had decided on a name.

Then three months later, Thor was scheduled to visit for the first time. Loki was nervous and agitated, eager to see his stupid brother who he didn't know he could miss so much. Instead of pacing and driving Nuada up the wall, Loki distracted himself by making a beautiful magical show of colours and sparkles for _Ciardha_ , who sat happily in Nuala's lap, clapping his hands as his mother waved his fingers and made the colours swirl and dance.

Holding onto the energetic child, Princess Nuala felt through her gift the pure innocence an excitement coursing through the little prince. It was a feeling like no other, benefiting both her, and in connection Nuada. 

“He likes this very much.” she said, extremely impressed herself as they watched Loki.

Loki grinned and did a few tricks he knew Ciardha liked. “Mother used to do it for me when I was young. I know I used to love it.” Ciardha gurgled loudly and clapped his hands again, bouncing and rocking happily. Loki's face softened and he cooed along with Nuala, his chest bubbling in pride. “I wonder if he'll be able to use magic.”

Nuala made a noise as if she remembered something. “There _is_ magic within him, but I think it's more of Elven origin. Nature magic, like healing and influencing the elements.”

Loki pulled his lips at the prospect, then waved away the magic and squeezed his son's cheek who complained. “Are you going to influence the elements Ciardha? Are you going to make big thunder storms and make uncle Thor jealous? You’d better.”

Suddenly a loud yelp made them all jump and they turned to see Abraham, hopping on one foot for balance as he held up a vase as if it were worth more than his existence. Which it was. Nuada jumped in alarm from his perch near the door, but didn't rush over. Abe set the vase down and when it no longer rocked he turned to his audience and held his webbed hands up.

“I'm alright. It's alright.”

Nuada pulled his lips, but the disdain didn't reach his eyes. “I'm sure I said look with your eyes, Abraham.” he said softly, raising a brow as Nuala giggled.

“Oh, I know but I see so much better with my hands! I swear I won't break anything, I just got a little excited. This once belonged to Sekhmet.”

“It was Bastet’s.” Nuada argued with an unsure frown.

Abe shook his head. “No, no, originally it was Sekhmet’s.”

Loki and Nuala rolled their eyes. A month after birthing, just when he was almost properly healed, Loki met Nuala and her odd husband, Abraham Sapien. Nuala was as charming as her brother and Loki couldn't help wondering if Thor would have been attracted to her. She was a real lady and Loki quickly found a liking to her soft and humble nature. Nuada was almost the opposite, but he could also tell Nuala was not weak. She just showed her strength in a different way to her brother.

Before another conversation could start, a heavy roll of thunder signalled Thor's arrival. Loki jumped up to his feet and smiled at Nuada excitedly.

“Thor is here.” How he missed that man.

“I will meet him.” Nuada said, but his face was troubled. But it wasn't because Thor was here, it was because of the neglected thrall collar he had to pull out. Loki's face darkened immediately and Nuada sighed. “If he didn’t come alone we have to keep up at least _some_ pretence.”

Loki glanced between the collar and Nuada with a glower, but he knew this was a battle he'd lose. Still, it stung his pride and he could almost feel the egg on his face. “We have visitors.”

“Loki,” Nuada said, firmly, but it held an apology as well.

Rolling his eyes as hard as he could with a nasal inhale Loki gave in. “Fine.” He stood still as Nuada placed it on his neck, neglecting to properly lock it so if it turned out to be a false alarm they could rip it off without worrying about a key. Nuala looked away respectfully for Loki's sake, and Abe followed her example as he padded softly towards her and Ciardha, who found interest him for the tone of his skin, so like his mother’s.

When it was in place Nuada patted Loki's cheeks, which had filled out well over the months after birth. “I'll be back. You know the other way out should there be trouble.”

“I knooow. Now get the oaf.” Loki pushed him on, and Nuada left the safety of their home to meet Thor outside.

 

Waiting patiently, Thor stood idle, looking up at the sky as if it were speaking to him. The grey clouds were rolling by thanks to him, but he thought Loki and Nuada deserved some warning. He knew Loki probably did.

Thor turned as Nuada stepped out, and smiled in relief. “Nuada, it is actually good to see you.”

“As it is you. Loki quite enjoyed the thunder.” Nuada smiled back, and clasped hands with Thor.

“He always did. I didn't want to sneak up on him, best to let him know first. Loki always hated being snuck up on.”

Patting Thor on the shoulder, Nuada gestured a hand. “Come, Loki is eager to see you.”

“I am eager to see him.” Thor said, but right after despite having tried not to, the question slipped out. “Has the child arrived?” He didn't know how long Jotun pregnancies were, that was his honest defence. Also he was terribly curious, as was Frigga.

Nuada seemed to glow at the topic. “Yes, he is healthy and looks just like Loki, save for his skin.”

“So it _is_ yours? We don't have to track down Blade?” Thor asked in a low voice even though Loki definitely couldn't hear from where he was. They walked down the corridor of the building together, both thinking back on that day they first met, the last day Nuada saw Loki.

“Even if it was his I'd suggest we leave it be. He'd kill Loki the first chance he gets and Loki wouldn't appreciate seeing him, even if he was the father. The child would be reminder enough.”

Thor nodded solemnly. “I know Father was at fault here, but Loki did not make things easy for himself either.”

“As much as I agree with you, let's not mention that. I like my relics intact.” Nuada hinted. Loki was very much able to be destructive now if he chose to be. “Just to warn you Loki will have on a thrall collar. I didn't want to take the chance in case Odin came or sent someone to make sure.”

“I understand. Is Loki well?”

“Yes. A little lost, I admit, but it's still early days.”

Thor frowned at that, but Loki had been through too much to be fixed within a few months. Soon enough they entered through the doors sealed with protective magic and Thor's eyes lit up substantially at the sight of Loki. Though he was blue and his eyes were read, his face, his hair, and his body still screamed _Loki_.

“Loki.” he breathed, and rushed forward.

“Thor.” Loki said softly, and allowed Thor to draw him close. The hug was tender as if Thor was afraid to hurt him, and he probably was. Loki took the moment to breathe in and taste Thor, humming at the familiar scent. But Thor parted them too quickly for Loki's liking, and started to openly examine him. “Look at you, you're glowing.” Thor said happily, squeezing Loki's waist and his arms and looking up and down as Loki stared with a dead pan expression. “And you've put on weight.”

“Thank you, brother.” Loki drawled, but happiness was evident in his eyes.

When Thor was satisfied he squeezed Loki's hands, then pulled him in for a much harder hug. “It's good, mother will be glad.”

But Loki _was_ tender. Breastfeeding was a painful business, and his chest was sensitive. Loki cried out as Thor's armour dug into his small tender breasts and he struggled to put space between them. “Ow! Thor-ow-be careful.”

“Sorry!” Thor exclaimed, and pulled back slightly, unsure of what he hurt.

Loki winced and pulled a hand down to paw at his chest, but kept Thor close. “I know I'm Jotun now but I just had a baby. Delicate.” he hinted, forgetting there were other people in the room.

“Brother, you'd never call yourself delicate.” Thor smiled, realising how much he missed his little brother, even when he was complaining.

“I give in this time. As soon as I've healed enough to throw a kick I'll retract the statement.” Loki said, making Thor laugh. Then he did pull out of Thor's grasp and turned to Nuada. “Get this collar off.” 

As the elf removed the collar, Thor watched Loki and saw the happiness glittered all over him. His heart warmed at the sight, and he found intense relief that Nuada had not gone back on his part. “...You truly look well Loki.”

Smiling, Loki turned back to Thor once he was free. “Your Captain came to visit a month back. Why him? I was expecting Stark to stick his big nose in, or the Black Widow.”

“Captain Rogers can lift Mjölnir, so I'd trust him with my life, and yours.” Thor said, taking hold of Loki again. Then just to ask, “ _Did_ he do anything out of place?”

“No,” Loki said, grudgingly, making Nuada laugh.

“He is full of honour and patriotism, I respect that. He'd be an asset to our kind. It's a pity a soul like his was born into human flesh.”

Thor smiled. “He's a good man. I was glad to hear all is well.” Thor then pressed a firm kiss to Loki's forehead, humming in thanks when for once, Loki didn't pull away. But he pulled away himself, and glanced around. “Where is my nephew?”

Instantly Loki jumped and slipped out his arms. The Trickster lead them over to where Nuala stood with Abe, holding Ciardha and smiling in a welcoming manner.

Loki took his child from Nuala as he started introductions, and Thor had a difficult time acknowledging the two strangers in favour of staring at the mini Loki. “This is Princess Nuala, Nuada's sister. And her husband, Abraham.”

“It is an honour to meet you both.” Thor said, bowing with respect. Nuala smiled widely, and bowed back. Abe gave his own small bow and they then stood back to allow the family space.

Bouncing the babe who was suddenly very reserved, Loki spoke in a delicate manner, as if worried he would say it wrong. “And this is Ciardha. Our son.” Loki said, and Nuada beamed.

Awestruck at the little person, Thor leaned over and took in Loki's child, his nephew. “...He is extraordinary.” he breathed, taking in his features, and seeing an equal balance of Loki and Nuada.

Nuada slipped a hand around Loki's waist and smiled proudly. “Like his mother.”

Loki rolled his eyes but leaned into Nuada. Thor carefully reached out and touched Ciardha, allowing the little prince to carefully reach out in return and examine his large hand. “I expected something...bigger.”

Loki made a noise. “So did I. But he's going to be like me. Sort of.”

“Frostfemme?” Thor asked, looking up to Loki in case he was offended by the word.

“Yes. But with Nuada's blood too it's only reasonable he's small.” Loki reasoned, glancing pointedly at Nuada who was about Loki's size. “I'm actually glad, I still don't know how I survived pushing him out.”

Thor's face softened and he frowned, moving Ciardha’s hands lightly as the babe stared at his pink skin which was unlike his mother and father's. “Mother wished to be there when you….”

“Maybe next time...” Loki murmured, and grinned teasingly when Thor looked up sharply in surprise at the idea. 

“He is gorgeous Loki, Mother would love to see him. It’s times like this that wish I had a mobile phone. I'd just capture his image and take it to show Mother.”

“Oh, I can help there.” Abe said, pulling out one out from his short’s pockets. “You can borrow this.”

Thor accepted it, “Thank you, Abraham.”

“Would you like me to take the pictures?” Abe offered.

“Please.” Thor glanced at Loki. “If we can, Loki?”

“Yes, you may.” Loki said, adjusting Ciardha so he faced the front.

Nuada glanced between them all as Abe got the phone ready. “Perhaps I should hold him for this? Should Odin see.”

Loki stared at him, then glanced at the collar laying discard. He groaned in the back of his throat, then parted with his baby. “...Fine.” 

Thor frowned. “I think Mother would like to see Loki.”

“Loki would have to wear the collar, and I don't think he'll allow his likeliness to be capture with it on.” Nuada said, holding up the mumbling baby to his chest so they both faced the camera. 

Thor flushed. “Ah, yes. Sorry.”

“Just take the damn pictures and give him back.” Loki snapped, but it didn't have his usual bite. He crossed his arms and sidled up next to Thor, who smiled a mischievous smile and nudged him with his arm.

As well versed with technology as he was with the supernatural, Abe snapped a bunch of flattering pictures of Nuada and Ciardha for Frigga who was no doubt sitting in Asgard that very moment and aching to be down there with them. It was still too soon for her to visit. 

Thor got his chance to hold Ciardha for some pictures, who had warmed up to the yellow stranger. Thor held him with exaggerated caution, making Nuala, but looked proud all the same.

When the pictures were done, with a few of Nuala (just because she was so beautiful, Abe argued), he handed the phone back to Thor, who handed Ciardha back to Loki. “Just press this button, it’s the shortcut to the galley where the pictures are. Then just tap the picture to see it and flick through like this.” he did so as an example. “Simple enough.”

Thor smiled, no stranger to the kind of technology. He nodded in thanks and put the device away in a clasp. “Aye, thank you. I will try to return this on my next visit.”

Linking her arm in Abe's, Nuala gave them an apologetic glance. “I think Abraham and I should go. Thank you for having us.”

“You can stay as long as you like.” Nuada said, stepping up to grasp her hand and kiss it.

“Allow Thor the same curtsy.” Nuala scolded playfully. She released Abe to hug her brother, then went to hug Loki and kiss Ciardha. She bowed to Thor who bowed back, and returned to Abe. With last goodbyes and farewells the pair took their leave.

“Do visit again.” Loki called as Nuada took them to the door.

When they were alone, Loki looked at Thor. “How is Mother?”

“She is well. She misses you, and spends all day nitpicking _him_ about everything.” Thor grinned, lifting his fingers for Ciardha who was reached out to grab and gum on.

Loki sighed heavily in regret. “I hope to see her again. I was cold.”

“You will, I will bring her myself.” Thor promised, then lowered his height a little to catch eye contact again. “And you? Have you been okay?”

“I've been fine.” Loki answered a little too quickly, and glanced up at Nuada who had returned. “…Adapting.” he amended, but that didn't stop Nuada.

“Loki won't go out in public.” Nuada said, shutting the door.

Loki bared his teeth and hugged Ciardha close. “It's my choice.”

“No matter what I say—”

Loki turned a light glare on the elf. “Nuada you didn't grow up being taught Jotuns are savage scum. I did. Before we even grew hair Thor would go on about slaying them all. _I can't just be okay with myself_ —”

“I know, I know, I know, love. I know. But you are not on Asgard. And what you were taught is the Asgard mentality. Here no one thinks that, and only Asgard and Vanaheimr in the realms hold such beliefs. They're wrong.” Nuada said all in one breath, and Thor burned slightly in shame for the man he used to be. He could only imagine how Loki could feel.

Staring as if in pain Loki made an unsatisfied sound at the back of his throat. His shoulders slumped slightly and he mumbled out a confession he hadn't yet verbalised despite feeling it the entire time. “...But I don't believe they're wrong. _I_ myself think that way.”

“It _is_ wrong Loki.” Thor interjected, and smiled weakly when Loki's big eyes turned on him with hesitant curiosity. “Look at me, I've changed, I can see it's wrong. I'd never go to Jötunheimr now and blindly attack like a fool for no reason. We were taught us wrong. And you know it's wrong, you just look down on _everyone_ , not just Jotuns.” Thor reasoned, cracking a wider smile when Nuada laughed at the small truth. “And I don't look down on you.”

Loki didn't look convinced. “...Asgard does—”

Before anymore self hate could tumble out Thor grabbed the back of Loki's head and pulled him forward where he kissed his forehead. He felt Loki shiver, but ignored it. “You need to let go, Loki.” he whispered, and smiled when he felt Ciardha pull at the chest plate armour between them. Loki remained where he was, surprisingly, letting Thor love him. He missed it too much to be prideful right now.

“It's hard.” he mumbled.

Thor pulled back and squeezed Ciardha’s cheeks. “You have Nuada and Ciardha now, live for them.”

Giving in with a sigh, he'd fight that battle later, Loki gave Thor a one-sided smile that sprouted a dimple. “...Can you make a storm?”

“Of course.” Thor said immediately, and held out Mjölnir as he invoked the elements of the sky. Thunder rolled outside and Loki hummed in content, looking up at the ceiling as if he could see through it.

Eyeing Mjolnir, Nuada pulled his lips and stepped back, spreading his arms out. “Thor, I need a spar, I've been cooped up these last few months. Care to indulge me?”

Pleasantly surprised and willing, Thor agreed with a boyish grin, “A friendly spar.” he said, but put down Mjölnir. 

Loki rolled eyes heavily and walked away from them to settle on the edge of the bed. He put Ciardha on his lap, facing the two men who started to rid themselves of unnecessary clothing, already grinning like little boys. Loki _tsk_ ed and leaned over to look at Ciardha who was looking between his father and the yellow man. 

“Warriors... Make sure you think like mommy when you're older. Read books and learn.” Loki glanced up, a missed feeling of wholeness bubbling in his chest as he watched his brother preparing for a spar with exaggerated movements, amusing Nuada who humoured him, and glanced at his family on bed with content eyes. “And watch the silly boys knock each other on their backsides.”

 

The end~

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading dears <3


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